If We Ever Meet Again
by x0clairedelunex0
Summary: First comes love, then comes marriage. Unless you're Claudia and Sonny. Then it's a one-night stand, then a baby, then love.
1. Chapter 1

**If We Ever Meet Again**

_Chapter One_

Stop thinking about it, Claudia told herself. It was one night. Sure, it had been amazing, but that didn't matter. She didn't know the guy's name, or where he was from. He had just been looking for a rebound after he'd had trouble with that girl or whatever. It was meaningless sex, Claudia's favorite. So why did she keep dwelling on it? It was over and done with. Time to move on.

Besides, she had more important things to worry about. After visiting her father in the hospital the night before, she finally realized how sick he was. He was paralyzed, for starters, and he kept talking about Maria and her freaking roses, and how she visited him and everything. And since he was totally nuts, Trevor had pretty much taken over the organization, shutting Johnny out of his birthright. Trevor thought he was so smart, bringing Claudia back here to control her brother. Well, little did he know that Claudia had no intention of following his orders. She'd make sure that Johnny was put on top, and that she wasn't far behind. She hadn't worked her ass off in Italy for nothing.

Claudia adjusted her black shirt and smoothed out her hair with her hands as she stood in front of her full-length mirror. Her suitcase, which she had still yet to unpack, was open on her bed, revealing countless pieces of priceless couture, most of them of black and red color. There were also, of course, the bazillion pairs of black and red heels and boots, which made Claudia's stomach do somersaults just looking at them.

Claudia had been standing in front of her mirror for a good ten minutes now. Why did she care so much about how she looked? The only people she was going to see today were Trevor and Johnny. Trevor would mentally undress her anyways, just like old times, and Johnny was her brother. Neither of them had much interest in her clothing.

But something in the back of her mind told her she needed to always look good, on the off chance that she'd ever bump into that guy again. What were the odds, though, of them becoming more than strangers? Close to zero, that was for sure. And that was the way it should be. Sex like that was meant to be anonymous. Why mess it up with names and feelings?

But it had just been so—amazing. Claudia had never had sex like that before. There was that one guy in high school who she'd lost her virginity to, but that had been too nerve-wracking of an experience for her to really enjoy it. Then Trevor, which didn't count, at all. And, finally, a slew of guys in Italy. Sure, no one did the deed like the Italians, but no Guido Juicehead could hold a candle to her mysterious stranger. The way he held her, caressed her, kissed her…it was the best sex in the world. It was the triple-decker chocolate fudge cake of sex, with the little game at the bar represented by vanilla ice cream on top. Claudia loved mystery, suspense, intrigue, and, of course, sex, and all of them mixed together was like winning the lottery.

Claudia shook her head. She needed to stop. She was never going to see that man ever again, ever. So she needed to get over his power in the bedroom and search for someone who could do it better, if that was even possible.

No, stop, she told herself. It's over.

**11/4/09**

Focus, Sonny told himself as he poured over the documents on his desk, not taking in a single word. That woman he had picked up at the bar last night…wow. When he had been looking for angry revenge sex, he sure as hell hadn't been expecting something like that. It had been quite a pleasant surprise. But no matter how great the sex was, he still couldn't believe that he was still thinking about it the next day. It was supposed to have been a one and done deal, to ease the pain from Kate's rejection to his proposal. So why on Earth was it still haunting him? Why could he still picture every feature of her face, every curve of her body, they way her lips met his…

Pull yourself together, he urged himself, trying to shake his head of any thoughts pertaining to that night. But it was just so hard. It was the best sex he'd had in a long time, maybe even ever. Kate should piss him off more often.

Where did things stand between them now? Usually, when a marriage proposal is rejected, the relationship doesn't last much longer. And did he even want to hold onto her? He had taken her back to Bensonhurst, revisited their old haunts with her, got down on one knee on the sidewalk of their hometown, in the snow, and professed his love and devotion to her. And she had just walked away like she had had a bus to catch. Sonny didn't feel sorry at all about what had happened last night, especially since it had been so good.

"Hey, boss," said Max as he walked into Sonny's office without knocking. Sonny jumped. He had been alone with his thoughts for so long that Max's unexpected arrival gave him quite a jolt.

Max noticed his employer's uneasiness. "Something wrong, Mr. C?"

While Sonny trusted Max with his life, he wasn't ready to tell anyone about last night. That was between him and his beautiful stranger. "Nah, it's all good. I'm just tired."

"Yeah, you…got in late last night," said Max.

Did he know what was going on? "Yeah, I guess so. Did you want something?"

"Just to inform you that all five families will be present at the meeting in a couple weeks, including the Zaccharas," Max reported.

Good, thought Sonny. That would take a lot of focus, preparing for that meeting. It would definitely be enough to distract him from his little tryst. "Thanks, Max. Trevor representing the Zaccharas?"

"Actually," said Max, a tad uncertainly, "he says he has some sort of surprise. We're trying to find out what it is."

Now Sonny was concerned enough to really focus. "What kind of surprise? An ambush?"

"It doesn't seem like that," said Max with a shrug. "But we're still gathering information."

Sonny nodded in approval. "Okay, keep up the good work. Get back to me with anything you find out. I refuse to be caught off guard by the likes of Trevor Lansing."

"You got it, boss," said Max with a nod as he headed out the door.

Once his bodyguard had left, Sonny leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together and contemplating. What could Trevor possibly be planning for that meeting? It couldn't be good, that was for sure.

**11/4/09**

"Well, look who finally decided to join us," said Trevor smugly as Claudia walked into her father's old office. It looked the same as when she had last seen it: dark, depressing, and with a Trevor lurking in the corner. Johnny sat on the desk, seeming a tad amused at the animosity between Trevor and Claudia. Well, thought Claudia, he wouldn't be enjoying it so much if he knew exactly what had happened all those years ago.

"You know what, Trevor, I come back here with Daddy in the hospital, and I think, 'yay, I won't have to apologize for being a girl.' Well, never mind, I guess. I'm sorry I'm a girl and take pride in my appearance. Unlike you. I'm pretty sure you've had that shirt since I was thirteen."

Johnny laughed. Claudia grinned at him. No matter what Trevor had done to her in the past, she would not let him control her now. She had changed in Italy. She had grown this wonderful little set of bones that many referred to as a spine. Also, after last night, she felt like she could do anything.

Trevor rolled his eyes. "Well, since you've decided to grace us with your presence, why don't you try helping out instead of throwing insults?"

Claudia smirked. "Okay, fine, I'll start working. My first order of business: making you leave."

Trevor looked like she had smacked him clean across the face. "What are you talking about? I run this organization!"

"Is your last name Zacchara?" Claudia questioned rhetorically.

"But—"

"I didn't think so." Claudia's brown eyes bore into Trevor's, but he didn't move an inch.

"Despite whatever personal feelings you may have for me, you and your brother need me," Trevor insisted, standing his ground. "I know the ins and outs of this organization. I've been with it since its inception. You can't just skip back here from Italy and expect to be running things."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "If you had any real credibility, that property that used to belong to Lorenzo Alcazar would have been in Zacchara possession months ago." Trevor appeared shocked at her knowledge, which Claudia enjoyed. "You didn't think I did my research before I came here? Well, you're wrong again, Trev. Don't underestimate me. Ever."

Trevor shook his head in mild amusement as he finally left his corner and went to sit down at the desk. "So you know about the property. So what? What does that prove?"

"That you don't know a damn thing about me," said Claudia, walking over to the desk. Johnny moved from his spot, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire as his sister leaned her arms on the dark wood, staring directly into Trevor's eyes. "You thought I'd just come back here and let you push me around. That ain't happenin', Trev."

"What happened to you?" Trevor asked, still smiling amusedly. "You used to not talk to anyone, always kept to yourself, didn't cause problems. What happened to that Claudia?"

"She grew up," Claudia spat. "She didn't want to be shoved to the side like her mother. You may have gotten rid of her, Trev, but you'll never get rid of me."

She and Trevor stared right into each other's eyes for a good second before he said, "Who said I wanted to get rid of you? I just don't want you runnin' around here like you own the place."

"But I do own the place," Claudia pointed out. "This is my house."

"Your father's house," Trevor corrected.

"Daddy doesn't live here anymore," said Claudia, her voice cold and curt. "He's too busy pretending my stepmother is watering his precious roses."

"You need to redirect your attitude," said Trevor, still not becoming completely angry at the situation. "You'll be making your official entrance into the Zacchara organization at a meeting between the five families in a couple weeks, and I don't want you wasting all of your energy on insulting and correcting me."

"Oh, so now you're my PDA?" Claudia scoffed. "Planning my schedule for me?"

"Claudia, come on," said Johnny, speaking for the first time. "I know you don't like Trevor, but try not to be antagonistic. We're all on the same side."

Claudia shook her head in disagreement. "No, you and I are on the same side. Trevor's just a little snake that slithers wherever it benefits him."

"You're quick on your feet," Trevor observed, ignoring Claudia's snide comment. "That'll be good at the meeting, especially with Sonny Corinthos there. You might actually beat him out for this property."

Claudia held up her hands in a way that said, "hold the phone." "Let's back up a bit, Trev. Not only did I do research on that property, but on the other five families. Besides Sonny Corinthos, they're all a bunch of Marlon Brando wannabes. But Sonny Corinthos has a serious record, and could have been a beneficial ally if you hadn't screwed up."

"I didn't do anything!" Trevor insisted. "Your father made enemies with Sonny, not me!"

"But after that black and white ball, when Daddy became paralyzed," Claudia continued, "you had the chance to make peace with Corinthos and get him on our side. We could have split the property with him and blown all of the other families out of the water. But now he's an enemy, and that plan is useless."

"Trevor has a personal score to settle with Sonny Corinthos," Johnny informed his sister, folding his arms. "He's the father of Sonny's half-brother, Ric Lansing, the district attorney. Sonny's mother walked out on Trevor awhile back, and Trevor's always blamed Sonny for it."

Trevor's face turned red with embarrassment as Claudia turned back to him, laughing a little as she said, "Wow, Trevor. You have more of a past than even I knew about."

"It's not important—" Trevor started, but Claudia wouldn't let him finish.

"You're damn right it's not important. So why are you letting it get in the way of the Zaccharas dominating Port Charles? You, of all people, should know how to separate business and personal. We could've had that property, but just because you couldn't make nice with Corinthos back in the day, my brother and I have to pay for it? I don't think so."

"You can still get the property from Corinthos if—"

Claudia interrupted him again. "Corinthos doesn't have the property, Trevor. The current owner of that property is Skye Chandler Quartermaine, who disappeared from Port Charles about a month ago without a trace." She laughed as Trevor's face went slack. "You seriously think you're entitled to the Zacchara organization when you can't even figure that out?"

"So, if Skye has the property, how do we get it?" Johnny asked.

Claudia shrugged. "Trevor should have figured that out by now. But I guess he was too busy enjoying the view form his high horse." Trevor glared at her. Claudia just smirked. "From what I've found out, Sonny knows Skye Quartermaine personally, so he'll have a better chance of getting that property before us. That's when we start negotiating."

"So you're gonna wait until Sonny has the property, and then go after it?" Johnny asked, trying to follow his sister's train of thought.

Claudia nodded. "It would be easy to track Skye down, but if we can do it, so can Sonny. And given the choice between us and him, she'd sooner give it to him, if she's willing to sell at all. I say we wait and figure out negotiating tactics instead of sending ourselves on a wild goose chase."

Johnny smiled confidently. "I think I like her style of thinking better than yours, Trevor."

Trevor just scowled as Claudia gave her brother a one-armed hug, saying, "I'll go to this little get-together that you set up for me. Sonny might have the property by then. I'll try and lay down the groundwork for some good negotiation at the meeting."

"Good," said Trevor, standing up. "Your presence will be a wake-up call to the other families that the Zaccharas may be down, but we're certainly not out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to make." With that, he left the office, finally giving Johnny and Claudia some peace.

Claudia stuck her tongue out at the door that Trevor had just left through, saying, "He's so annoying. Why do we keep him around again?"

"Because he knows too much," said Johnny with a smile. Claudia didn't return it, mostly because it was so true.

Johnny noticed his sister's confident face fall into one of vulnerability. "Everything okay?" he asked, concerned.

She didn't want him to know. Hell, she didn't want to know, and she had been involved. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just thinking about that Sonny Corinthos guy." She pulled herself away from her brother and sat down at the desk, enjoying the power that came with sitting at it. The last time she had been this close to the desk, Trevor had been bending her over it. This was a much more pleasant experience.

Johnny put his hands in his pockets. "Sonny's a wild card. He plays by his own rules. He pretty much runs Port Charles. Whatever you do at that meeting, do not piss him off."

Claudia smiled at Johnny's overprotective way. "Don't worry; I'm not looking to make enemies. Like I said: Sonny could be a very useful ally. And I did my research on him; I'm very intrigued."

"Don't get any ideas," Johnny warned, reading between the lines of Claudia's words. "He's dating Kate Howard. She runs some fashion magazine. It begins with a C…"

"_Couture_," Claudia finished for him. "There's an Italian version. And if the American version is anything like it…" She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Well, let's just say it's a wonder that Kate Howard stays in business."

"Sonny probably funds her with his blood money," said Johnny with a small laugh. "I've seen the two of them together. It looks pretty serious."

Claudia smirked mischievously. "I don't know. Sounds like a publicity stunt to me. It's probably how she sells those rags."

Johnny looked worried at her statement. "You're not thinking of going after Sonny, are you?"

"I told you, I did my research. I find him quite fascinating. He seems like my type of guy. Oh, don't worry," she said hastily, trying to calm Johnny down as his face contorted into a shape of deep concern. "I'm just curious. It would be a one-night stand, at best."

Johnny's face went from concerned to disgusted. "Okay, I really don't want to talk about your sex life."

Claudia smiled widely. "Okay, then I won't tell you about last night."

Johnny gagged. "I really didn't need to hear that."

Claudia stood up, walked around the desk, and gave her brother another hug, one that he didn't fully reciprocate this time. "There's a lot of things you don't want to hear about me," she said as she pulled away, looking up into his eyes. "The idea of me shacking up with Sonny Corinthos is nothing compared to other things I've actually done, things that would make your toes curl. Hell, they make my toes curl."

"Please stop talking," said Johnny flatly.

Claudia grinned again. "Don't worry, John. I have this whole thing with Sonny Corinthos planned out perfectly. I'm not even nervous. In fact, I'm very much looking forward to meeting him."


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

"Boss, Kate's here to see you," said Max, peeking his head into Sonny's office.

Sonny groaned internally. He really didn't want to see Kate. Sure, it had been a couple weeks since she had rejected his proposal, but he still wasn't ready to have a showdown with her about it. And when he was ready, he wanted it to be on his terms. He didn't like to be caught off guard. Kate knew better than to just show up and start a confrontation. She should have called and at least warned him, or asked him when a convenient time would have been for them to have dinner and discuss it.

But he couldn't send her away, because she might never come back to talk about it, and they couldn't just let the issue hang in the air between them. They needed to get it out of the way and determine their future, or lack thereof.

Did he even want to see her? For the past two weeks, all Sonny had thought about was his meeting that was coming up in two days and the mysterious woman he had met at the bar. His mind jumped from tracking Skye down to memories of the best sex of his life. Sometimes he'd think about both at once, which did not enhance a productive working environment. But if he had still been thinking about meaningless sex and work, and hadn't really given the issue of Kate much attention, did he really want to sort things out? If that was what he wanted, wouldn't he have thought of something to say to her before the time finally came?

"Send her in," he said to Max reluctantly, standing up from his desk, shaking away thoughts of Skye and the stranger. Max slipped out and Kate took his place, looking as fashionable as ever in Sonny's doorway. There was an awkward silence between them. Sonny was waiting for Kate to speak first; after all, she had arranged this little shindig. But the only communication Kate was making was with her eyes, which were downcast and full of guilt and regret. She didn't look ready to open her mouth any time soon, so Sonny finally gave in.

"What did you want to see me about?" he asked innocently, trying not to sound completely idiotic with his question.

His attempt failed. "I think it's pretty obvious what I'm here about," snapped Kate. Sonny found that completely uncalled for, but didn't say so. "We really need to figure out where we stand."

"I don't think that's too hard to figure out," said Sonny, his voice as cold as ice. "I asked you to marry me, and you didn't say anything. You just ran away, and left me kneeling there like a fool."

"Sonny, you need to understand something," Kate implored before he could go any further. "It was merely a reflex. Marriage is an ominous concept to me. Unlike you, I haven't done it five times."

She could not possibly be going there. "Four of those times were to Carly," he said, but one look at Kate's face made him realize his mistake. Kate, though she'd never admit it, was obviously threatened by Carly and her relationship with Sonny. Their four marriages didn't help the issue.

Kate didn't address the hurtful comment as she said, "Nevertheless, I definitely wasn't expecting you to propose. I just didn't know what to do."

"Really?" Sonny asked skeptically. Kate could not be this dumb. "I took you to our old neighborhood. We walked down memory lane together. We've told each other countless times that we loved each other. And you're telling me that you didn't expect it at all?"

"Sonny, I've never been married before!" Kate insisted. "Or proposed to, for that matter. It's not something one just expects to happen. How was I supposed to react?"

"With an answer!" Sonny shouted, taking a step towards her. "Yes or no! Even you saying 'no' would be better than you just walking away!"

"Sonny, I—"

"I don't want to hear it!" he yelled, holding up his hand and averting her eyes. He then lowered his voice to a whisper. "You had your chance to talk: when I got down on one knee and told you I would love you and cherish you for the rest of my life. That chance has passed."

Kate didn't say another word. She just gave Sonny a longing look and walked out the door, her eyes on her feet. Sonny began to breathe heavily as she left, trying to control his anger at everything. How could she be so stupid, to think her walking away wouldn't bother him? She had some nerve, trying to make excuses for her behavior. Sonny didn't need her crap. He didn't need to marry her. He'd be just fine without her.

But even as he thought it, he knew it wasn't true. They had loved each other back in high school, back when they had both seen the world through innocent eyes. And then she came back into his life, and they had rediscovered their love, and it had become stronger than ever. And one little mistake had now shattered his hopes of ever having even a little bit of a normal life.

**11/4/09**

"Trevor, whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it," said Claudia, not looking up from the papers on the desk as she heard footsteps enter the study. There was still no sign of Skye Quartermaine, and it didn't look like Sonny had made a purchase of Lorenzo Alcazar's property yet. Claudia was pretty much banking on him to do so. If he didn't, there would be nothing to negotiate at the meeting that was coming up in two days. So Claudia was trying to come up with a plan B, something she wasn't very good at. But she didn't want Friday night to be a waste of time. Even if they couldn't negotiate over Alcazar's old property, they could negotiate about something.

"Then it's a good thing I'm not Trevor," said a voice that was definitely not the lawyer's. Claudia looked up to see Johnny standing over her, and smiled, much more pleased to see his face than anyone else's.

"Sorry," she said, putting down her pen. "I have just been so frazzled for the past two weeks. I want everything to go perfectly on Friday night. I'm not looking to make enemies. I have enough of those."

"Take a break," Johnny urged with a grin. "Trevor can hold down the fort for a couple hours. Go out and have dinner. Rent a movie. You just got back, and you're already putting yourself under too much pressure."

"Because I'm the only competent person around here," laughed Claudia, even though it was true. "Trevor doesn't know what's good for the organization, and you don't want anything to do with it."

Johnny chuckled. "It's all in the interest of business. The other families don't like me very much. I'm a loose cannon, apparently. It's easier if I stay out of the way."

Claudia shook her head. "One day, Johnny, you're gonna be running this thing. So you can sit back and chill for now, but you're gonna need to step up eventually."

Johnny shrugged. "We'll see."

Fine, thought Claudia. Let him be stubborn. "I just have so much to do, and so little time to do it in," she said, looking back at the papers on the desk. "And I've had this massive headache for a good four days now. It will not go away."

"Do you want me to get you some Advil?" Johnny offered.

Claudia laughed, not looking up. "We're out. I took it all."

Johnny frowned with concern. "That bad, huh? Do you wanna see a doctor?"

"Hah, like I have time," Claudia snorted. She finally looked up again. "I'm not big on doctors, anyway. And it's just a headache. It's probably from all the stress. It'll go away in a couple days."

Claudia's assurance still didn't make Johnny feel any less concerned. "Are you sure?"

His sister just smiled. "Yes, I'm sure. I keep meaning to buy more Advil, but I've just been a little scatterbrained with everything that's going on. I can't even remember what day it is."

"It's February thirteenth," said Johnny, humoring her.

Claudia laughed. "Okay, thank you." But her face fell as her mind fully digested the date. February thirteenth? No, it couldn't be. Time couldn't have gone by that fast. Had it really been two weeks since she'd come back to Port Charles? Two weeks since she'd had sex with that stranger at the bar?

The stranger. It had all happened so fast…Claudia wasn't on the pill, and they hadn't used protection…No, this could not be happening. It was impossible.

Claudia instantly began doing the math in her head, counting the days backwards. Her stomach sank as she realized it had been more than four weeks. But it was still impossible. It must just have been all the stress she was under. That's what it had to be. But the headache…and she had been feeling rather tired lately…and, come to think of it, her stomach hadn't really been digesting food easily…but that all had to be because of stress. She was practically running this organization single-handedly. She was late, but so what? It happened.

But she had to make sure. It was near to impossible, but Claudia needed to find out, just to calm her nerves. She stood up quite suddenly from the desk, Johnny taken aback by her sudden movement.

"What's up?" he asked as she walked towards the door, grabbing her purse off of a side table.

He couldn't know, not yet, especially because she was probably just overreacting. "I'm going to the pharmacy for more Advil. I can't take this headache." As she walked out the door, she felt a little bad about lying to him. But it was just to keep the drama to a minimum. Yes, she was going to the pharmacy, but not for Advil, even though her headache had just become a hundred times more painful.

No, she was going to the pharmacy for something else: a pregnancy test.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

"Claudia," Johnny called from the other side of the door. Claudia didn't even think of answering it. In fact, she barely heard him. His voice seemed a world away.

"Come on, Claudia. Open up." There were three knocks on the door. She still didn't acknowledge his presence. She needed to be alone. Even he couldn't help her through this.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, his voice really sounding concerned. "Come on, you've been in there for hours. I'm worried."

Claudia pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them for support. She couldn't do it. What if her suspicions were confirmed? What if it was true? What was she supposed to do then?

"Alright, I'm coming in," said Johnny, opening the unlocked door. What he saw had to have been confusing. Claudia was sitting at the head of her bed, barefoot, hugging her knees to her chest and staring intently at the other end of the bed. Johnny followed hers gaze to see a small brown paper bag sitting at the foot of her bed. Johnny wasn't sure what was in it, but whatever it was, it seemed to be frightening the hell out of Claudia.

Johnny walked over to his sister and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder. She didn't react to it, but didn't pull away either. She seemed lost in a trance, like her very life depended on whatever was in that paper bag. "Claudia, what is it? What's in the bag?"

He would be so disappointed in her. She felt like such a slut. The sex she had been gushing over a couple weeks ago was now haunting her like some menacing ghost. What the hell had she been thinking? She hadn't known the guy from Adam. He could've had diseases. And she hadn't even used protection. What was she, sixteen? Had she been so horny that she hadn't thought to use precautionary measures? And what if the test was positive? She had never wanted kids, ever. She hadn't even wanted to get married. How could she possibly carry a baby that she hadn't planned on, a baby whose father's name she didn't even know? The test could not be positive. Everything would be ruined, and she refused to let that night of pure ecstasy change the rest of her life for the worst.

Johnny just watched as his sister's face turned pale, her fists clenched around her legs. A single tear dropped from her left eye. She looked like she had just witnessed a tragic event of some kind, like a fatal accident or a gruesome murder. What was in that paper bag that was making her feel this way?

"Claudia, you can tell me," said Johnny. "Is it the headache? Is it getting worse?"

It was, but that wasn't the biggest issue right now. "I'm late, Johnny." Her voice was choked with tears. She had never exactly been a paragon of virtue, but she would like Johnny to think she had a little more class than she really did. She would look like such a freaking whore once he knew the truth.

Johnny was confused. "Late for what?"

God, boys were so stupid. "No, Johnny," she said, finally looking at him, trying to communicate the message through her worried eyes. "I'm late."

It took a second, but realization finally shone through Johnny's eyes. "Oh," he said. Claudia would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious. His cheeks turned red as they began to touch on a subject that was usually pretty taboo in the Zacchara household. But he still wasn't getting the whole picture. "So, what does that mean? Is there something wrong? I mean, with…" He trailed off, obviously not wanting to finish the sentence.

Claudia didn't blame him. She looked down at her hands and started picking at her red nails. She could not admit her gallivanting while looking her baby brother in the eye. "Remember the first day after I came back, and you told me not to talk about my sex life, and I made some crack about the night before?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah…"

Claudia hesitated before saying anything. She really didn't want him to know, but he had to. Especially if the test came out positive. She couldn't hide a secret like that for very long. "I know you don't want to hear about it, and I don't blame you, but I have to tell you, especially if…" More tears started falling out of her eyes now. This was one of the hardest things she'd ever done: admitting such an awful mistake to Johnny.

"Just tell me what happened," he said comfortingly, removing his hand from around his sister's shoulder and adjusting his position on the bed so that he could be looking right at her. "Take your time and speak slowly."

But there wasn't a lot of time, Claudia thought to herself. She needed to take that test soon. "That night, the night I came back, I stopped somewhere before I came to see Daddy so that I could get a couple drinks, kind of prepare myself for whatever was waiting for me here." Her mouth formed the smallest of smiles, tears still dripping from her eyes. "It was this lounge at this hotel, and I had a few drinks—nothing that really did anything to me," she assured her brother as his face became worried. "Just enough to clear my head and…I don't know, calm my nerves or whatever. Anyway, while I was sitting at the bar, this man came in." Claudia could picture him perfectly. He had looked worn out and a little depressed, and had definitely been drinking to forget something. She remembered feeling some pity for him; it had looked like he'd lost something special, something he might never get back. She had probably stared too long, and now, with that paper bag sitting at the end of the bed, she instantly regretted it. "Did Daddy ever tell you about 'the thunderbolt?'" she asked, straying off topic for a second to try and rationalize her decision, though it was more for her benefit than Johnny's.

Johnny shook his head, looking confused at the change in subject. "No. What are you talking about?"

"It's an old Sicilian term that Uncle Rudy told me about," Claudia explained, the flow of her tears slowing down a tad. "They say it only happens to men, but it happens to women, too. It's hard to explain. You kind of have to experience it yourself to know what it's really all about."

"Give me the Cliff Notes version, then," said Johnny, grinning.

Claudia grinned back, ever so slightly. "It's when an instant attraction to someone takes over your whole body and mind. It's almost like someone's first ever hit of heroin. You need to have that person in your life, or else you feel like you won't survive. It's this primal, animal attraction based only on your first sight of the person. Uncle Rudy said that people rarely ever experience a thunderbolt anymore, or if they do, they don't act on it. Instant attraction isn't really accepted in today's world, not with all those creeps out there."

Johnny was starting to see where this was going. "So, that's what happened to you when you saw this guy? The thunderbolt hit you and you instantly fell in love?" The way he said it, it was obvious that he found the legend humorous. Claudia, at one point in her life, had also felt that way, until a couple weeks ago when that stranger had walked into the bar.

God, when the stranger walked into the bar. It sounded like a bad joke. A stranger walked into a bar, picked up a woman, and may have gotten her pregnant without exchanging so much as a name. But not one single thing about this was funny.

"It wasn't love, Johnny. Love is when you know everything about someone and are willing to look past the bad and embrace the good. This was more like—," she tried to think of a good example, "a cat in eternal heat."

Johnny's face immediately became disgusted. "Can we just skip to the part where you tell me why you're crying and what it has to do with that paper bag?" he asked hastily, nodding his head towards Claudia's nightmare, which was still lying in wait.

Claudia gulped. Now was when her confession started. "Well, I didn't know anything about this guy. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Not even his name. We flirted a little, but we didn't talk. We kind of just…I don't know…gave each other looks, I guess, and bought each other drinks. Then, when he left, he slipped me a key to his room at the hotel." Claudia bit her bottom lip nervously and watched as Johnny's face melted into a mask of utter horror.

"You didn't," he said simply. He knew Claudia could be a little freewheeling, but never in his wildest dreams…

Claudia nodded slowly and solemnly, tears starting to fall from her eyes again. She didn't say anything. The nod was enough.

Johnny jumped off the bed, running his hand through his hair as he paced back and forth. "God, Claudia, really? You just slept with a guy you didn't even know? He could have hurt you, Claudia! He could have had diseases or something! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, obviously!" Claudia shouted back at him, her screams choked by tears. "It was that freaking thunderbolt!"

Johnny stopped his pacing and looked Claudia right in the eyes. "Do not blame this on an old wives' tale from Sicily! You're not a child! Do you have even a shred of dignity?"

"What do you want me to say, Johnny?" Claudia yelled. "Do you want me to apologize?"

Johnny considered for a second, calming himself down. "No, of course not. I'm just worried about you. That wasn't smart."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "I know, Johnny. And believe me, I'm regretting it now." She took a furtive glance at the paper bag that still sat menacingly at the end of her bed.

Johnny saw the glance, and, as if remembering how this had all started in the first place, asked, "So what does this all have to do with what's in that bag?"

Great, thought Claudia. It wasn't like he wasn't mad enough already. What would he do when he found out she hadn't used protection? Or worse—what if the test was positive? Claudia didn't want to tell him. She wanted him to know, but she didn't want to be the one to disclose the information. She stared down at her hands and muttered, "Look for yourself."

A quizzical look came over Johnny's face, and he stood for a second in confusion. But once that second passed, he slowly walked over to the end of the bed, picked up the paper bag, and pulled out a small cardboard box. He looked at it for a second, digested what it was, and turned back to his sister, whispering, "Are you kidding me?"

Claudia let the tears flow freely now. "I wish I was. God, Johnny, you have no idea how much I want to take that night back, all of it." She moved from her sitting position to her knees, crawling over to the end of the bed to get closer to her brother. "I hate what I did, and I know it was a huge mistake."

Johnny was looking back at the pregnancy test, still not believing his eyes. "You think you might be pregnant?"

Claudia nodded solemnly. "At first I thought it was just stress, you know? But then I remembered that night, and how stupid I had acted…I might not be, though. It really could be just stress. But I have to make sure, you know? So then I can decide what the hell I'm gonna do." She put her head in her hands, praying to God that the throbbing would stop. It was getting worse by the second.

"What do you mean decide?" Johnny asked, not seeming to notice his sister's current state of despair.

Claudia looked back up at him. "Johnny, if I am pregnant, it's by a man whose name I don't even know. I won't be able to run the organization with a baby on the way. Even after it's born…I can't be Mommy of the Year and mob boss at the same time."

"So, what does that mean?" Johnny asked.

Claudia shrugged. "I don't know. I have options, but none of them sound very good. I don't want to kill the baby, I don't want to keep it, and I don't want to give it up. I just want it to not exist!"

Johnny looked down at the pregnancy test one more time, then offered it to Claudia. "Let's see if you're even pregnant first," he said. "And if you are, we'll go from there."

His support gave Claudia the slightest surge of hope. She didn't know what she would do without Johnny. Even though he was disappointed in her, he was still willing to help her through this terrible time. And she needed someone rational to be by her side. She was a mess. She couldn't handle this by herself. She needed the one person in the world who she loved to guide her through this and help her make the best decision for her and the baby, if there even was one.

With shaking hands, Claudia took the test from Johnny and stood up, her knees knocking together with anxiety. Johnny saw her face go pale and gave her one of the biggest hugs he had ever given anyone. She sobbed into his shoulder, and he held her close, trying to give her all the comfort he could muster up. Neither of them said anything, but they didn't need to. They were brother and sister. They understood what the other was communicating, even when no words were exchanged.

Claudia finally pulled away from Johnny, looking up at him with utter fear swimming in her brown eyes. He gave her an encouraging smile, which she returned weakly. She slowly walked away from him and into her bathroom, where she closed the door quietly, turning around and leaning against it after it was shut. She looked down at the box, swallowing a nervous lump in her throat. This was the last thing in the world that she wanted to be doing. But she had to. She had to know.

**11/4/09**

"Claudia, stop pacing," said Johnny, watching his sister walk back and forth across her room, the pregnancy test in her hand while they waited anxiously for the results. His arms were folded, just for something to do while the anticipation built. "You're making me nervous."

Claudia turned sharply towards her brother, not stopping her pacing. "Oh, I'm sorry I'm making you nervous," she spat. "You're not the one who might be pregnant!"

"But you might not be," Johnny reminded her. He looked at the test in her hand. "How much longer?"

Claudia looked at the digital clock on her bedside table. "Another minute." She continued pacing, staring at the test, not able to take her eyes off of it. "Johnny, what if I am? What am I going to do? I don't know who the baby's father is, I can't run the organization, Trevor is going to kill me—"

Johnny walked over to her, stopping her pacing by placing his hands firmly on her shoulders and staring her right in the eye. "We'll deal with all that when the time comes, which it might not."

Claudia wished his positive energy was contagious. But she was stuck in a deep, dark, and depressing hole, only thinking of the worst possible outcomes. She was never one to hope for the best—why set high expectations only to be disappointed? She would rather expect the worst. If the worst happened, she wouldn't be surprised. And if something better happened, then she'd be happy about it. She never understood optimists. In the end, they were the ones who'd hate life. Those who saw the glass half empty would get a lot of pleasant surprises, which was a far greater outcome then watching their hopes shatter into a million pieces.

"I just…I don't want a baby, Johnny," Claudia confessed. "I never did. I never dreamed of getting married and having kids. I mean, could you imagine me as a mom? I can barely take care of myself, let alone a child."

Johnny smiled at her. "I think you'd be okay at it. You were kind of like a second mom to me when we were kids."

Claudia's heart surged at his compliment. Praise from Johnny was the best thing in the world, at least to her. He was the only person that she loved, and she liked to know that he loved her back, especially in that kind of way. "You really mean that?"

"Of course," said Johnny, nodding and smiling. "You were always so protective, and that's the best kind of parent to be, especially in our world."

At the mention of the word "parent," Claudia was plunged back into reality. She looked at the clock again. The minute had passed. She closed her eyes before looking at the test, sending a silent prayer to whoever would listen. Please let this be negative, she thought. I will never think about that night again, I promise. I will never sleep with someone who I don't know, either. And I will always use protection. I will do all that if you just let this test be negative.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked down at the test, her stomach dropping.

She should have kept with her pessimistic attitude. Then the little plus sign staring back at her wouldn't have seemed like such a disappointment.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

Claudia felt her throat close up at the sight of the results. Her head started spinning and her knees felt weak. Her breathing became rapid and uneven, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the test. Johnny watched his sister's face turn the color of paper, and, before she could pass out, grabbed her by the elbow and led her to the bed so she could sit down.

"Johnny," was all Claudia could say, looking up at him with tears in her eyes, beginning to hyperventilate. "Johnny—what…"

Johnny himself looked like he was trying not to panic. That made Claudia feel a little better. One of them had to be levelheaded throughout this situation. "It's gonna be okay," he said, sounding like he was reassuring himself more than her. He pulled her close to him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder, her one hand still clutching the pregnancy test, the other wrapped around her stomach. "Maybe it's wrong. I'll go to the store and get you another one, or we'll take you to a doctor."

Claudia shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. "There's no such thing as a false positive. The test looks for a certain hormone in pregnant women. The hormone can go undetected, but it can't be falsely detected." Just saying the words out loud made it seem all the more real. Claudia was pregnant, plain and simple. Actually, it wasn't very simple. The father of her child was a man who she had only met once in her life, and whose name she didn't even know. She was starting to work her way up in the organization, but she couldn't do such a dangerous job with a baby on the way. And what would Trevor say? Or her father, if he ever found out?

Both of them sat in silence for awhile, Johnny rubbing Claudia's arm while she cried into his shoulder. What was she going to do? She could have an abortion. Hell, Johnny could take her right now. Everything would be solved and she would never have to think of that night again. She could just erase this section of her life from her brain and move forward, like it was a recurring bad dream that she had finally gotten rid of. But this wasn't just a dream. It was a living nightmare. The baby inside of her was real. It was growing bigger every second. The one thing in her life that she had never wanted was now attached to her, never to disappear except by her will or some random act of God.

Claudia considered. She didn't want an abortion. How many times had her father threatened to drown her, or choke the living daylights out of her? He'd hated her, but he'd never followed up on any of his promises. She didn't hate this baby. She didn't love it, but it wasn't its fault that it existed. It was hers, and she had to deal with the consequences. Claudia might be ruthless, but she only went after those who deserved it. This baby didn't deserve to die before it was born.

So, what other options did she have? There was adoption. That might work out. The baby could be put into a loving home with parents who wanted it, who needed it. The baby would definitely have a better life with someone else than with Claudia. Here, it would be surrounded by never-ending violence. Claudia would find a safe home for it, somewhere far from Port Charles, where the Zacchara name couldn't touch it. She would be happy, and the baby would be happy. Everyone would win.

But Zaccharas didn't give up their children. Even Claudia, who had been hated since the day she was born, hadn't been dropped off on someone else's doorstep until she was sixteen. Despite the loathing and hatred that her father had had for, he had still kept her. Once again, Claudia didn't hate her baby. So if Anthony Zacchara could hold onto a child he despised, why couldn't Claudia hold onto one that she didn't?

Besides, wasn't that a little cowardly, pushing her mistake onto someone else? Granted, whoever adopted her baby would want it and would understand the responsibilities that came with it, but wasn't it up to Claudia, who had had unprotected, anonymous sex in the first place, to own up to her behavior and raise the child herself? Yes, it would be difficult, with everything she had going on now, but she'd make sacrifices. She could protect the baby, and she could care for it. She'd do everything. She'd eat healthy. She'd read all the parenting books. She'd make sure the child had everything it could ever want or need. It would go to the best schools, pursue any passion it wanted to. She would love it, and Johnny would love it, too.

Of course, Claudia had her doubts. She wasn't exactly mother material. She had spent her entire adult life in organized crime. She carried a concealed firearm with her wherever she went. But wasn't being a mother instinctual? Wasn't there, somewhere deep in the back of the female brain, a genetic coding that enabled women to care for their children under any circumstances? Maternal instinct, that was what it was called. Claudia listened to it now. It was telling her to keep and raise the baby to best of her ability, because she would seriously regret losing it in one way or another.

"Johnny, I need to ask you something," Claudia sniffled. Though her mind was made up, she still wanted her brother's input.

"Sure, anything," said Johnny as she lifted his head from her shoulder to look him directly in the eye.

"What would you say if I wanted to keep the baby?" Claudia asked nervously. "I mean, raise it, here, in this house. Would you help me?"

Johnny considered what she was asking for a second, and Claudia's stomach turned as she watched his face become thoughtful. "Do you think raising a baby in this environment is such a good idea?"

No, thought Claudia. "We were both raised in this environment, and we—well, you at least…you turned out okay."

Johnny looked at her skeptically. "Really?"

"Well, you've got a little damage, but I don't think that has to do with the violence," said Claudia, shrugging her shoulders. "I think it was because of Daddy. You know, he was crazy, and with your mom and everything…"

"But all of that was related to the business," Johnny pointed out. "Dad went crazy because of the power. The greed and superiority drove him nuts."

Claudia placed the pregnancy test down on her bedside table and wrapped both of her amrs around her stomach, cradling the little life inside of her. "I made a promise to myself when I was little, after Daddy left my mom, that I would never turn out like him. I would try so hard not to let something consume me like the business consumed him. I told myself I would know if I ever became like him, and get help. And I intend to keep that promise, especially now."

"But it's not that simple," Johnny insisted. "When your mind changes like that, you don't recognize it. You don't recognize yourself."

"I have something that Daddy didn't have," said Claudia looking back up at him. "I have you."

Johnny snorted. "Dad did have me, remember? I made everything worse."

Claudia shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean. I remember my mother trying to tell Daddy he was sick, and he didn't listen. He didn't listen to anybody, except Trevor, who wanted him to be sick. The sicker he was, the more powerful he'd get, and the more successful Trevor would be. And even your mom didn't tell him something was wrong, and I'm sure she regrets that now." Claudia gave a single laugh as she remembered her dead stepmother, and how she had torn the family apart. "There is only one person in the world who I'd ever listen to, and that's you, John." Johnny smiled. "And I know you'd tell me if I was starting to get sick."

Johnny nodded. "I would." He looked down at her stomach, where her arms were still tightly wrapped. "Do you really want to keep it?"

"Yes," said Claudia through her tears. "I want it to have the childhood that I never had. I want it to be loved, and to want for nothing. I don't want it to go through what I went through, and I'm the only one who can make sure that doesn't happen."

"Okay," said Johnny, nodding. He didn't seem to like Claudia's plan, but he wasn't fighting her on it, which Claudia appreciated. She didn't need someone to fight her. She just needed someone to support her, whether they agreed with her or not, because she wasn't changing her mind. "But I have a question."

Well, at least it wasn't a complaint. "What is it?"

"If you're going to keep this baby," Johnny started, seeming hesitant, "don't you think you should at least find out who the father is? Maybe let them know they have a kid on the way?"

Claudia couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that after making her decision. She had just decided that she would raise the baby here. She hadn't given much thought to the father, mostly because it made her feel sick. She didn't really know him, except in the biblical sense, and she couldn't think about him without thinking of that night. She couldn't even imagine him being a part of the baby's life. Besides, it wasn't like she was ever going to see him again. Why tell him he had a kid, mess up his life, when Claudia didn't really want him involved anyway?

"What's the point?" she asked Johnny. "I can raise the baby by myself—well, with your help of course." She smiled. Johnny didn't. "I don't need the guy's money, I don't need somewhere to live…why make it complicated by bringing him into it? What we had wasn't supposed to be a long-term thing. It was one and done. Why make it something more?"

Johnny just stared at her. "Wouldn't you want to know if you a kid walking around this planet? And don't you think your kid is gonna want to know its father, at least what his name is?"

And that was why she needed him. He thought more clearly than she did, and he was smarter. He also had the male perspective, which Claudia respected. But there was still one problem. "How do you propose I find him?"

Johnny was already a step ahead of her. "I know how."


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

The night after discovering she was pregnant, Claudia didn't sleep a wink. For starters, she felt so sick. Now that she knew for sure she was carrying a child, the stereotypical symptoms associated with pregnancy seemed that much more amplified. She was starving all the time, and would feel extremely sick after stuffing her face. Her feet and hands looked like they were swelling, and her headache had become extremely intensified. Claudia had heard people talk about how being pregnant was the best nine months of a woman's life. Now that she was in such a position, she wrote it all off as a bunch of bull.

The other factor keeping her awake all night was the spinning of her thoughts as she considered who the baby's father might be. She spent most of the night flashing between fantasies and nightmares of his lifestyle. She thought really hard about the man she had met that night in the bar, trying to block out the sex and focus on him as just a human being. He had the look of a businessman, which wasn't too bad. He also had a lot of confidence surrounding him, so maybe he was a successful businessman. But maybe that confidence was associated with something else. What if he was a lawyer? Ew. Claudia could barely consider the possibility, especially after what had happened between her and Trevor all those years ago. The fact that he had offered to pick up her tab suggested he was wealthy, but that didn't mean he had a job. It could all be inheritance, or he could have won the freaking lottery. All Claudia knew was that she had to find him, and let him know of the little present he would be receiving in about nine months.

Bright and early the next morning, Johnny's plan for discovering the identity of the stranger was put into motion. Wanting to support his sister through every obstacle of this complicated pregnancy, he insisted on driving her back to the hotel where the tryst had taken place. The car ride was completely silent. The radio wasn't playing, and neither Johnny nor Claudia said a word. They didn't have to. They knew what had to be done.

When they arrived at the hotel, they headed straight for the bar, which was completely empty, save for the man behind the counter, who was busy polishing glasses with a somewhat dirty dish rag. He was sitting down on a stool behind the bar, very intently analyzing his work, not even looking up when Johnny and Claudia entered.

"Is that the bartender that was here the same night you were?" Johnny asked his sister quietly.

Claudia shoved her hands into the pockets of her long winter coat, feeling very cold despite the heat flowing through the room. She took a quick glance at the man polishing the glasses, recognizing him instantly. "Yeah, that's him."

Johnny nodded approvingly. "Good," he said. He began walking purposefully up to the bar, Claudia nervously following him. Once he reached the bar, he grabbed the back of one of the stools, saying to the bartender, "Excuse me." The bartender looked up, glancing at both of them. When he laid his eyes on Claudia, he immediately looked away, as if he didn't want her to know that she looked familiar.

The bartender looked back at Johnny and said, "What can I help you with?"

"We're looking for someone," said Johnny, "and I think you can help us find him."

The bartender stole a look at Claudia again, as if he knew where this was going, saying, "I don't know how I could—"

"Look, I know you recognize me," said Claudia, finally stepping in. "I was here a couple weeks ago, and I ordered a few martinis. There was another man here, and we were the only ones in the bar. We were passing notes to each other on napkins, kept buying each other drinks…" She trailed off, staring at the bartender intently. He knew something, alright. It was written all over his face. But maybe she'd have to be more detailed. "Dark skin and hair, brown eyes, in a suit, with the cutest dimples when he smiled—"

"Claudia," Johnny interjected before she got carried away.

"Sorry," she apologized, looking down at her feet.

Johnny rolled his eyes, looking back at the bartender. "The point is, it's very important that we find him. I doubt he paid for all his drinks with cash. I know it's unethical to ask for someone's identity based on their credit card, but this is an emergency."

The bartender still didn't seem to be grasping the direness of the situation. "I wish I could help you, lady," he said to Claudia, somewhat rudely in her opinion. "But we get tons of people in here every day. This hotel and this bar have a reputation for one-night pickups and things like that. People come here knowing that whatever they start is not going to continue past one night, and they don't want it to. Now, every once in awhile, there's people wanting to come back for seconds, but it won't ever happen, and it's not gonna happen with you. If he wanted you to call him, he would have given you a number."

Claudia was beyond mad. Was that what the bartender really thought, that she'd sat at home for a couple weeks, deciding now was a good time to hook up with that guy again? Did he even here Johnny use the word "emergency?" There had to have been girls getting knocked up before who came back around, looking for the father.

"You don't understand," Claudia pleaded to him, tears beginning to flow from her anger. "I need to find that man."

"Listen, lady, I already told you!" the bartender said loudly. "It's not my business to get this guy back for you!"

"Hey!" Johnny yelled back, leaning over the counter, his face inches from the bartender's. "Who the hell told you that you could talk to my sister like that? She is freaking pregnant by a guy whose name she doesn't even know! And she wants to find that guy and let him know he's got a kid on the way! She's not some slut coming back for a second round! She is gonna have a baby, and she wants the baby to know who its father is! So you better start talking," at this point, Johnny took both his hands and grabbed the bartender's shirt, his grip tight, "or I'm gonna make you talk! Do you understand?"

The bartender fearfully looked between Johnny and Claudia, seeming to finally understand that they meant business. He took a big gulp before saying, "Fine. Let me go first."

Reluctantly, Johnny released the bartender, who stood back a little bit from the bar, collecting himself after what had just happened. When he finally pulled himself together, he turned to Claudia, staring directly into her brown eyes. "I don't have to pull up the credit card information. I know who that guy was. Everyone around here knows who he is."

The way he said those words didn't make Claudia feel comfortable at all. He hadn't said it in a nice way, like the guy might be an important political or philanthropic figure. He said it like it was a bad thing, like the guy was a criminal or just didn't have a good reputation.

"Who is he?" Claudia asked, wanting to know and not wanting to know at the same time.

The bartender took a deep breath before finally saying, "His name is Sonny Corinthos, and if he really is your baby daddy, you have a lot of crap coming your way."


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

Silence. That was all there had been for the past half hour. Johnny and Claudia sat in the immobile car, Johnny in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the wheel, while Claudia sat in the passenger's seat, staring out the window. Neither of them knew what to say, or wanted to speak first. Both of their minds were reeling.

Claudia felt sick, but not pregnant-lady sick. Sick as in disgusted, surprised, and lost, all the emotions spinning in her stomach. She hadn't been expecting to actually know the guy's name, much less almost everything about him. And what she did know wasn't good.

Sonny Corinthos. She had read everything there was to read about him. He was the biggest crime lord in Port Charles, and had been for a long time. It had taken her almost an hour to read through the crimes he had been tried for. Sure, he hadn't gone to jail or anything, but Claudia sensed a few flaws in the American justice system. Also, when you were in his position, it was easy to keep yourself out of jail. The world's best lawyers probably flocked to him. Claudia could only imagine how much they were paid, given the amount of times he had been tried. His arrest record aside, he was an excellent businessman, and had been for quite some time. He was the epitome of a global empire. He knew how run an organization effectively. The numbers proved it. Claudia could distinctly remember reading ever little detail of his business history, and wishing so much that he was a Zacchara ally. With him, they could be unstoppable. But none of this meant anything now. Men who thrived in the mob world weren't exactly the best material for the even more confusing world of parenting.

And not only was he in the business, but he was an enemy to the Zaccharas. He was trying to beat them out for the Alcazar property. The piers and warehouses that Alcazar had owned could greatly improve the business of whoever got their hands on them first. Things like this were what started wars. For the past two weeks, Claudia had been preparing to fight against her baby's father, and she hadn't even realized it. All of these thoughts made her feel even more sick, and she wished Johnny would finally say something, just so she'd know what to do.

Johnny finally looked over at his sister, who had her head resting on the window, her face pale. He took a deep breath, and finally spoke up. "What now?"

Claudia turned sharply towards her brother, a single tear falling from her eye. "You think I have the answers, Johnny? It's bad enough that I'm pregnant. It's even worse that I'm not married to the father. Oh, and let's make it more complicated by throwing in the fact that I slept with him before even finding out his name. And now I find out that he's Sonny freaking Corinthos, the biggest mob boss in Port Charles. Johnny, my baby's father is a murderer!" Johnny looked down at his lap. "And you're asking me 'what now?' News flash, John: I don't know! God, I go through my whole life, being thrown from one crisis to the next, and now this? What did I ever do to deserve any of this?"

"If it's any consolation," Johnny started, keeping his voice calm, "Sonny already has three kids. From what I've heard, he's a great dad."

Claudia wished Johnny wouldn't be so calm. She wanted him to scream at her. She wanted them to both be shouting at each other. She was used to that. Confrontation was always a part of her life. Rational conversations rarely showed themselves, and when they did, Claudia never knew what to do, except keep shouting, even though the person she was talking to wouldn't dare raise their voice. "A great dad, huh? Is the mother of his other children on the opposite side of an impending mob war? Or is that just me?"

"There's two different mothers," Johnny explained, still not shouting. "Carly Jacks is one. She's the mother of his sons, Michael and Morgan. Actually, Sonny adopted Michael when he and Carly got married, but that's another story. And Alexis Davis is the mother to his daughter, Kristina."

"Why the hell are you explaining this to me?" Claudia yelled. "Is that supposed to make me feel better? That he's got three other kids with two different mothers, neither of which he's attached to at the moment? How do you think he's gonna treat me? I'm just some bimbo he picked up at the bar, who just happens to be the daughter of his enemy! You think we're gonna buy a house with a white picket fence, and raise our baby, all happy and cozy? No!"

Johnny sighed again. "I don't know Sonny extremely well, but I know him well enough. He loves his kids. He'd take a bullet for them. I don't think he'd treat yours any differently, no matter who you are."

"But you don't know for sure," Claudia challenged. "You don't know that he'll stop this mob war before it starts for the sake of his child. You don't know that he'll want anything to do with me or the baby. Hell, you don't know he won't call me names and treat me like crap. All you know is what you've heard."

Johnny cocked his head to the side, confused. "I thought you didn't care if the father was involved or not."

He had a point, but Claudia didn't want to admit it. The second Claudia had laid eyes on that stranger, she had dubbed him as the sexiest man she had ever seen in her entire life, which was saying something when you'd lived in Italy for so many years. She had loved everything about him. His voice, the way he gestured while he talked…that had been a major turn-on for Claudia. And, of course, the sex had been off the charts. On paper, Sonny Corinthos and his history were extremely attractive to Claudia. She loved a man who was successful and powerful, who had made it through one of the world's hardest professions almost single-handedly. Mix the two together, the looks and the facts, and he was the perfect match for Claudia. But throw a baby into it, and he was the least attractive person in the world.

"Before all this hit the fan, I had been very much looking forward to meeting Sonny tomorrow," Claudia explained slowly, finally lowering her voice as she gathered her thoughts. "I told you how interested I was after reading up on him. And, I can't deny the fact that he has been blessed with some very good looks. I'm attracted to everything about him, John, inside and out. I know that finding this out isn't exactly my dream come true, but now that I know…and remember that thunderbolt thing I was telling you about? Well, I felt the same way when I was doing my research. I know it sounds dumb, but now that I know for sure…I want him to want this baby. I mean, I'm not expecting us to get married. But I want him to be a part of this baby's life. I want to get to know him better. There's just something about him." She looked at Johnny, trying to see what he thought of her jumbled thoughts. His face remained impassive as he digested what was being told to him, and that made Claudia nervous. Johnny was supposed to be her rock through this whole thing. She needed to know how he felt and where he stood. It was the only way she'd be able to maintain what was left of her sanity.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Johnny responded. "Sonny and I have never gotten along. He never liked Dad, so I guess with me, it's just guilt by association. But if he really is…the father of your child," he seemed to be having trouble getting the words out, "I will try to make it work. I can't promise he'll do the same, though."

The tears in Claudia's eyes were flowing more freely now as she absorbed Johnny's words. He was the one person in the world who she deeply and truly cared about, and his support meant everything to her. "I love you, John. I love you so much."

Johnny gave a small smile as he said, "Now, from a business standpoint, I don't know how this is all going to work. Maybe Sonny will stop everything that's going on for the sake of his child. But this won't change things with Trevor. He'll always have that vendetta against Sonny."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Do you think I care what Trevor wants? He doesn't run the organization. You and I do. And I am gonna do everything I can to make sure that our business doesn't hurt my baby."

Johnny laughed. "I never expected to hear you sound so…maternal."

Claudia chuckled along with him, tears still rolling down her face. "It's hard," she said, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly. "But I just keep thinking about all those years I took care of you, and this little baby needs me as much as you did. And I'm gonna make sure that nothing bad happens to it. Ain't that right, little guy?" she asked, looking down at her stomach.

They were silent for awhile, before Johnny finally spoke up. "So, it's up to you. Do you want to tell Sonny?"

Claudia didn't have to think twice. "Yes."

**11/4/09**

Sonny sat in his office, trying his best not to lose focus. The meeting with the Five Families was the next day, and he really didn't have anything prepared. He had been looking everywhere for Skye Quartermaine, but hadn't been able to find her anywhere. Even Spinelli hadn't been able to track her down. It was like she had disappeared into thin air, along with the Alcazar property. Sonny needed that property for the meeting tomorrow, to show everyone, especially Trevor and the Zaccharas, that he was still on top.

His efforts of concentration were interrupted as the door to his office banged open. Sonny looked up, expecting to see Max and reprimand him for not knocking before entering. But it wasn't Max. It was Johnny Zacchara, his face red and his breathing heavy.

Sonny rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Johnny? And how did you get past Max?"

Johnny ignored the last question as he practically shouted, "I want you to meet somebody." He stood away from the door to let whoever it was he was talking about come in. When she did, Sonny stood up immediately, not quite sure what to say.

He had never expected to see her again, that woman from the bar. But here she was, standing in his doorway, looking as beautiful as ever, the bottom of her red dress barely visible under her long, black winter coat. She was wearing red high heels again, and she still had that air of confidence about her that had so attracted Sonny the night they had made love. But something about her was different, and Sonny couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking between her and Johnny.

"This is my sister, Claudia," Johnny said before his sister could introduce herself. "She's pregnant with your kid."


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

No one said a word. No one moved an inch. It didn't even seem like anyone was breathing. Johnny and Claudia stood on one side of the room, near the door, while Sonny continued to stand behind his desk. Johnny was looking at Sonny with murder in his eyes. Sonny was looking at Claudia, his mouth open, but not a word coming out. Claudia looked at the floor, caressing her stomach with her shaking hands.

To Claudia, it felt like hours that they had stood there in silence, until Sonny finally said, his voice hoarse, "What?"

Claudia looked up at him, her voice catching in her throat. Even shocked and confused, he was still gorgeous, maybe even more so. Despite the crisis brewing around her, Claudia couldn't stop thinking about the sex that night. God, it had been so good. Yes, it had provided less-than-desirable circumstances, but Claudia believed in living for the moment. The way she had been raised, how could she live any other way? But that moment, that glorious moment, had passed. The moment she was in now was a lot different, and not in a good way.

"Yeah," said Johnny, nodding and folding his arms, as an answer to Sonny's confusion.

Claudia gave a small and weak smile. "Surprise." To her dismay, the mood in the room hadn't been lightened.

Sonny still couldn't believe it. Here he was, staring at the beautiful woman he had seen just two weeks ago, the woman who had helped him ease his pain. While he had marveled at her beauty, had savored every second they had spent together, he had assumed that he'd never see her again, especially not under these circumstances. He had finally been able to accept that she would only appear in his life once, and now she was back, with a little extra baggage.

"This is your sister?" he asked Johnny, not knowing what else to say. He had heard Johnny loud and clear. He just didn't believe a word of what had been said.

"Half-sister, actually," said Claudia, answering for her brother. "We have the same dad, different—"

"Enough, Claudia," Johnny interjected, not taking his eyes off Sonny as he reprimanded his sister.

There was silence for a few more moments, before Sonny finally said, "Johnny, can I have a few minutes alone with your…sister?" he asked, still not believing it. "We have some things we have to work out."

Johnny looked between Claudia and Sonny, his arms still folded, then began to head out the door. When he was almost out, he turned back, saying, "Make it fast." With that, he left, closing the door loudly behind him.

Sonny rubbed his face with his hand, looking at Claudia again. She looked back, not taking her dark brown eyes off of him. Finally, he offered, "Can I get you something to drink?"

Claudia snorted. "Yeah," she said, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Sonny's desk. "Vodka would be great."

Sonny just looked at her. "Aren't you—"

"Yeah," said Claudia, nodding and smiling a little. "Doesn't mean it wouldn't be great."

Sonny smiled back, half at Claudia's joke, and half at the relief of not having to finish his sentence. He was just starting to wrap his head around the fact that this woman was a Zacchara. He wasn't quite ready to tackle the other layer of this mess. "Do you want some water?"

Claudia shook her head, still wearing that small grin. "No, I'm fine."

"Okay," said Sonny, sitting down behind his desk. They sat there for a little bit, staring at each other, neither one of them wanting to start the conversation. Finally, just to break the ice, Sonny said, "So, you're Johnny's sister?"

"You can stop referring to me as his sister," said Claudia crossing her legs slowly. "As much as I love my baby brother, I do have a name and an identity of my own. It's Claudia."

Sonny nodded, trying not to let his true feelings shine through. It was the most beautiful name he had ever heard, and it suited the woman perfectly. "You're right. I'm sorry," he apologized.

Claudia smiled again. "It's okay." The had another minute of silence, but Claudia broke it this time. "What are the odds, huh? That two people on opposite sides of the business would end up together?"

Next to zero, but it didn't make Sonny regret not sharing names any less. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Zacchara?"

Claudia scoffed. "You weren't exactly forthcoming about who you were either."

She had a point. "Yeah, I know. I shouldn't be blaming this on you. I was the one that was looking for trouble. I take responsibility for what happened."

"It takes two to tango, buddy," Claudia pointed out.

Sonny nodded. "Neither of us acted like adults that night. It's something I'll never do again."

"Yeah, me neither," said Claudia in full agreement. "Unfortunately, one night of immaturity led to some pretty major consequences."

Great, thought Sonny. Now they had to focus on the other part of this. It wasn't like the stranger being a Zacchara was enough. No, God had to be cruel and throw a baby into the mix. But no matter how inconvenient everything about this was, Sonny couldn't ignore the fact that he was going to have another child. He may not have had many redeemable qualities, but he was a good father to all his children, no matter how they came into the world.

"So, how's this all gonna work?" he asked reluctantly. "I mean, I'll give you all the support you need—"

"I don't need your money," Claudia interrupted him. "Incase you were unaware, the Zaccharas do pretty well for themselves. We might not be the best, but we're still pretty damn good."

Sonny nodded. "Are you gonna let me be a part of the baby's life. Not financially, though I will contribute. I mean, can I be its father?"

Claudia refrained from smiling, though she so desperately wanted to. This was what she had hoped would happen. The most attractive man she had ever met, inside and out, offering to be a part of the life of the baby they had created together. But she couldn't voice her true feelings. Not yet. "Do you want to be?"

The answer to that was simple. "Of course," said Sonny. "I would never abandon my child. I don't know if you know, but I have three other kids."

"Yeah, Johnny told me," said Claudia.

"Well, I see my boys all the time," Sonny explained. "Michael and Morgan. They're good kids, and their mother and I get along very well. She's been one of the few people in my life who hasn't tried to change me, and knows that despite how I live, I'll always love and protect my children. Now, Alexis, on the other hand," he said, the tone in his voice changing, "she doesn't want me seeing Kristina, except on very rare and special occasions. I support her financially, but I never see my daughter. Alexis wants me to stay away from Kristina for our daughter's safety, and I can see her side of the argument as well as I can see Carly's."

Claudia could hear the pain in his voice as he talked about his daughter, Kristina, about how he never got to see her. It sent jolts of feeling through Claudia's heart. She had never seen a man care so much about his daughter. Her father certainly hadn't shown her that kind of compassion. "I want this baby to have a father," she said decidedly. "At first, I was ready to raise it on my own, but then Johnny convinced me otherwise. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I never had a stable father figure growing up. It makes a lot of difference in a kid's life. It defines the kind of person they'll be. Well, I'm pretty screwed up, and I don't want my kid to end up the same way."

They barely knew each other, and Sonny couldn't believe that in this small conversation, the first real and deep one they'd ever had, that they'd already found something that they had in common. "My dad wasn't around when I was a kid, and my mom wasn't the best at picking out guys. So I know what you mean."

"Are you talking about Trevor?" Claudia asked with a small smile.

Maybe they had more than one thing in common. "Right, I forgot for a second that Trevor was your family's lawyer. You know him as well as I do?"

Claudia tried not to let the flashbacks start. "Probably better," she answered vaguely. Sonny cocked his head to the side, confused. Claudia couldn't help but notice how cute he was when he did that. "Trevor's been with my family for a long time, since I was a little kid. My mother never liked him, and neither did I. Sneaky little bastard, if you ask me."

Sonny smiled broadly, revealing his dimples, the ones that almost made Claudia melt. "Yeah, that sounds like Trevor," he said, then realized something. "What's he gonna do when he finds out about all this?"

Claudia hadn't even considered what Trevor would do when he found out. Well, he certainly wouldn't be pleased with it. It would mess up his "plan" that he kept talking about, though Claudia doubted he really had one. But still, he'd get himself all worked up about it, thinking Claudia had ruined any chance of the Zacchara organization getting to the top. He wouldn't let her control anything anymore, and his vendetta against Sonny would probably only grow stronger. But he would be wrong about everything. Before coming to Sonny's office, Claudia thought that she'd have to try and make nice with her baby's father while they fought against each other. But after listening to the way Sonny talked about his other children, she didn't think he would let a mob war start with his child in the middle of it.

"It doesn't matter what Trevor thinks," Claudia finally answered. "I'm removing myself from the top position of the organization so that I can focus on the baby. I don't want to be connected to this situation in any way, especially if our two families really get into it."

Sonny suddenly realized something. "Were you the surprise that Trevor was talking about for tomorrow's meeting?"

Damn, the meeting. With all the chaos, Claudia had completely forgotten about the next day. But instead of revealing her forgetfulness to Sonny, she merely said, "Yeah, I guess so. But I won't be showing up for it. I'll play sick. Trevor can go for me."

Sonny noticed the distaste with which she said Trevor's name, how talking about his influence in the business seemed to sicken her. "Why is he even still involved with the Zaccharas?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Because he's been like a bible to my father for years. And, he knows everything about our organization, from our offshore accounts to our shipping routes. Letting him go would be suicide."

A light bulb seemed to off in Sonny's head as another realization hit him. "Fire Trevor."

What? "Did you not just hear me? I can't. Anyone he joined up with would know as much about our organization as we do. We'd be dead in no time."

"Not if you have the Corinthos empire supporting you," said Sonny cryptically.

"I don't get it," Claudia admitted.

Sonny sat up straight, prepared to explain. "The only reason I've ever had an issue with the Zaccharas was because of your father and Trevor. With them out of the picture, I would be more than willing to offer support, especially if it meant kicking Trevor's ass. And with the baby, it would make things less complicated for us."

Claudia was attracted to his plan almost as much as she was attracted to him. But there was one part of his idea that thoroughly enticed her. "Us?"

Sonny wished he had rephrased his words. He didn't want to let Claudia know exactly how much he was attracted to her, especially if she didn't feel the same. The way he saw it, she just wanted him to be there for the baby, which he completely understood. That one night between them, no matter how enjoyable it had been, didn't mean a relationship was in the cards. At least, not a romantic one. No, they were just parents of a child who were willing to exist peacefully with one another. It was almost the same as Sonny's situation with Carly. Did he still find her attractive, beautiful, smart, and funny? Yes. Did he still, on some level, love her? Yes, he always would. They had been married four times. She was the mother of his sons. Yes, they hadn't been able to work things out as a romantic couple, but as parents, they'd always had a good relationship. So it would be the same thing with Claudia. Sonny desperately wanted it to be more, but a line had to be drawn. He wasn't going to force this on Claudia. Her main concern was taking care of and protecting her child, and he was willing to respect that.

To save himself from his word slip, Sonny said, "I want to be part of this child's life, and you want me to be part of it as well. So, don't you think we should get to know each other a little better? Maybe you can come over for dinner on Monday?"

Oh, Claudia thought to herself. That was all he wanted? Yes, it was good that he wanted to get to know her for the sake of her child. She wanted them to be like a family, not two strangers that bounced a kid from each other's houses. But he wasn't even the least bit interested in her, in starting a relationship with her? A real one? Had she really just been a fling for him, something to look back on, but not to pursue? They were going to be allies instead of enemies. They could make a romantic relationship work now, along with being able to take care of the baby together. But maybe he didn't want that, and if he didn't want it, then neither did Claudia. She had spent her life vying for the attention of those who didn't want to give it to her, and she wasn't going to do it anymore. It was a waste of time, time that could be better spent focusing on the baby.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said, trying her best to sound honest about it. "I'll even give you a play-by-play of how firing Trevor went."

Sonny was taken aback. "You're going to do it so soon?"

Claudia scoffed. "Are you kidding? I've been wanting to fire Trevor from my life since I was seven years old. I'm doing it tonight."

Well, thought Sonny with a smile, more power to you. But there was one small wrinkle in her plan. "What about the meeting tomorrow? Who's going to represent the Zaccharas if you're taking yourself out of the position of power? I don't think sending Johnny in will do you any good."

"You'll represent both," said Claudia. "We have similar interests, like the waterfront property that used to belong to Lorenzo Alcazar."

Right, thought Sonny. The property. They had both been going after it, but it didn't look like either of them had laid their hands on it yet. "Are our families going to share that property, if one of us gets our hands on it?"

Claudia shrugged. "Why not? We're allies now, aren't we?"

"Why don't you just ask me to merge the organizations and run both of them?" Sonny joked with a small chuckle.

Claudia didn't find it so funny. "Why don't you?"

He had not been expecting this at all. Hell, this whole day had just been one damn shock. He started it out by continuing his search for Skye Quartermaine and the elusive Alcazar properties. And now, he had been reunited with a one-night stand, was expecting a child, and had been offered one of the world's largest crime syndicates. It was enough to make someone pass out. Luckily, Sonny was made of sterner stuff. "Let's wait a little bit for that. I can only handle so much thrown on me in one day."

"Right," said Claudia, laughing. "I think finding out about me and the baby was enough for you." She looked at her watch, then stood up slowly, her hands placed gently on her stomach. "What time on Monday?"

Sonny considered for a minute. "Seven?"

Claudia smiled. "It's a date."


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_

Claudia couldn't help but feel nervous as she stepped into the study. Sure, she was excited and confident; the words she was about to say to Trevor had been dancing on her tongue for a long time. Once he was gone, her life would be so much easier, and she'd have Sonny to back her and the organization up. Not to mention that Johnny would finally start to run the organization himself, something he had been destined to do. After Claudia had met with Sonny, she had explained the plan to her brother, who had expressed concerns about running the organization under the current circumstances—i.e. the other families hating him. Claudia explained that it wouldn't be so bad if they had Sonny as an ally; no one would dare mess with the two most powerful players in Port Charles when they were attached in such a way. After her explanation, Johnny felt a little more confident, though he admitted he would need Claudia's help. Of course, Claudia was willing to support and guide her baby brother in any way that she could, but refused to take the top position for herself. She just couldn't risk it.

But, despite the entire plan working itself out, Claudia was still anxious about delivering her news to Trevor. He wouldn't be happy. A good part of his life had been invested in this organization. In fact, most of it had been his work; Anthony had merely been a figurehead all these years, while Trevor pulled the strings behind the scenes and received none of the consequences. Even though Claudia despised Trevor and everything about him, she would never deny that he was a good businessman, or at least had been at one point in time. In fact, if he hadn't been a coward, a manipulator, and a total sleaze, Claudia felt that they could have really gotten along. But, his personality wasn't attractive in the slightest, and Claudia really didn't have a problem hating him.

Just as she expected, Trevor was sitting behind the desk, seeming deeply focused on his work. Claudia was more than happy to disrupt him. "I need to talk to you," she barked. It was not a suggestion.

Trevor looked up, smiling smugly. Claudia was so excited to wipe that ugly smile off his face. "Where have you been? I've been covering your ass for you all day. The meeting is tomorrow. There's no time for you to be skipping off and attending to personal matters."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I can go where I please at whatever time is convenient for me?" said Claudia, a smirk on her face as well. "I'm an adult and, last time I checked, your boss. You don't have the right to question what I do with my time."

Trevor shook his head. "I'm not getting into this with you, not right now. The meeting is tomorrow, and we have work to do. The property is still missing. Do you have any idea what you're going to say tomorrow?"

Claudia shook her head. "I'm not going."

Trevor was completely dumbfounded. "What do you mean you're not going? You've been working your ass of for the past two weeks! I don't think you slept more than four hours a night! And you're telling me you're not going?"

"Yes," said Claudia simply, nodding.

"Why the hell wouldn't you go? The Zaccharas need to be represented, especially by you! Once you tell the other families all those things you did for your uncle, they'll start to have a little more respect for this organization. And without our interests represented, who knows what we'll be shut out of? Don't you want this organization to thrive?"

"I do," said Claudia, moving closer to the desk and folding her arms across her chest. "But I'm still not going to this meeting."

"I still don't understand the sudden change in heart," said Trevor shaking his head. Just as he said it, an idea seemed to come to him, and he looked back up at Claudia, saying, "Your brother put you up to this, didn't he? You two have always had this strange sense of protection for each other."

Claudia ignored the jab at her and Johnny as she said, "My brother had nothing to do with this. I made this decision without his help. I'm not going, and that's final."

Trevor put his head in his hands, his elbows resting amongst the papers on the top of the desk. "Can you at least give me an explanation as to why?"

This was the part Claudia had been dreading. She wished she could just skip it and fire Trevor. But that was impossible. She couldn't let him go without a full explanation. That would make things even worse. Just say it, she told herself. Just let it out quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid. "I'm pregnant, Trevor."

The look on the lawyer's face made Claudia wish she had a camera, because she wasn't sure it was possible for humans to contort their features in such a way as he was. His eyes seemed to sink into his head as his eyebrows came together, a worry line forming on his forehead. His nostrils were flared and his mouth open, every feature completely still.

"You're what?" he hissed.

Claudia shrugged. "I'm pregnant, and I sure as hell am not going to that meeting with a baby on the way."

Trevor's face remained in the weird position for another second, before he just burst out laughing. "You can't possibly be serious!"

"Try me," said Claudia, not even daring to smile.

When Trevor saw how calm she really was, the grin disappeared from his face, and he went back to looking shocked. "How?"

Claudia laughed. "What is this, high school biology? Do you really need me to give you an explanation?"

"You know what I mean," he said through gritted teeth.

Claudia looked down at her red heels, contemplating exactly what to say. Trevor definitely wasn't going to like the next part. "It happened the night I came back from Italy. I stopped at a hotel and this guy picked me up. I'd go into more detail, but that would be gross." She looked back up at him. "You know with you being…you, and all."

Trevor finally stood up, slamming his fist on the desk as he did so. "Only you could possibly ruin everything! You have always been such a slut, but I never knew you'd take it this far! I can't believe you had sex with someone you didn't know and let him get you pregnant! How is this organization supposed to function anymore?"

"I wouldn't exactly call myself a slut," said Claudia, her voice slightly raised yet still calm, "though after sleeping with you, other people don't seem so bad." Trevor folded his arms indignantly. "And I didn't 'ruin' anything for your precious business. You did that, Trevor, by taking over for Daddy and making some of the most boneheaded decisions I've ever seen! Me stepping down doesn't make this organization any worse off than it already was after your direction of it!"

"So, what does this mean?" Trevor shouted back. "You're taking a nice nine months off to rest your feet and find your baby daddy?"

"I already know who the baby's father is!" Claudia yelled. "It's Sonny Corinthos!"

Trevor's face after this revelation was the same as after the first one: complete and total shock. But after a second or two, anger and hatred started to mix with it, forming an even more grotesque expression. "Corinthos?"

Claudia nodded vehemently. "Johnny took me back to the hotel where the guy picked me up, so that we could figure out who it was. When the bartender told me it was Sonny Corinthos, I was in total shock, but I wanted this baby to know its father. Johnny took me to Sonny's, and he knows, and he wants to be involved. That means the animosity between the Zaccharas and the Corinthos organizations is over."

Trevor shook his head. "Just because you want to get all cozy with Corinthos does not mean we're backing down against him!"

"Yes, it does," said Claudia. "He and I have agreed to make our organizations allies. That means that no one from the Zacchara organization can go after him."

Trevor scoffed. "Well, I'm certainly not treating him as an ally at the meeting tomorrow."

The final part of their conversation had reared its head, the part that Claudia had so patiently been waiting for. "You're not going to the meeting, either."

Again, Trevor was shocked, but this time, he was also confused. "I thought you said you weren't going."

"I'm not."

"Well, you may not want to grace everyone with yours and your baby's presence, but I am not letting this organization spiral downwards anymore. If you won't step up, I will."

"Unless you're representing another family, you shouldn't be within five miles of that meeting, Trev."

"What are you talking about?" Trevor asked, slowly walking around the desk. "Another family?"

Claudia stood her ground as he approached her, preparing to finally utter those beautiful and glorious words. "You're fired, Trevor."

This was probably the greatest face he had made yet. It looked like someone had punched him in the stomach and smacked him at the same time, which, in fact, Claudia had. Verbally, anyway. "You can't fire me."

"I run this freakshow," said Claudia, sitting on the edge of the desk. "And I decide which freaks get to stay, and which get to leave. Go join another circus."

Trevor smiled knowingly. "You're making a huge mistake, Claudia," he said, inching closer to her. "I know this organization inside and out. My knowledge could prove very useful to anyone who may want it."

"Oh, my apologies, _Consigliere_," said Claudia sarcastically. "I didn't realize you were Tom Hagen from _The Godfather_, a good and honest soul who I should keep in my employ. I should have considered that everyone would want you to work with them, since you're never sneaky or conniving."

He laughed. "Well, if you're going to throw around _Godfather _references, then so will I: letting you and Johnny run this organization without me would be like handing the Corleone organization over to Connie and Fredo."

Claudia didn't take offense at all. "Actually, it'll just be Fredo running things," she pointed out. "Connie will be busy taking care of her baby. Just like a woman should be doing. Right, Trev?"

Trevor didn't call her bluff. "I always thought you had the right kind of smarts for this business. You were never one to think your decisions through, but sometimes, in our world, you can get away with that, as long as you have someone who can analyze and plan correctly helping you out. Without me, this organization has nothing."

"Without you, this organization has Sonny Corinthos," Claudia shot back. "And he's a much more valuable asset than you will ever be."

"I sincerely hope you know what kind of trouble you're getting yourself into," Trevor warned.

"I had sex with you, didn't I?" Claudia smirked. "I'm willing to take this risk as well."

After Claudia spoke those words, Trevor looked at her for a good long second before finally walking out the door, his footsteps audible all the way down the hall. As his presence finally left her home, Claudia felt a single tear fall from her right eye. She was free.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

Upon first sight, Claudia was absolutely fascinated by Sonny's house. Ever since she was young, she had always been afraid of her home. It reminded her of evil castles where wicked witches locked up princesses in fairytales. Even before her life had turned upside down, Claudia had preferred spending most of her time outside. Sunlight never seemed to come into the windows of her house, at least not in the rooms that she was allowed in. After her mother had left, and Maria had entered her life, the house had only seemed that much more haunted, with ghosts of the past lurking in the hallways and making noises in unoccupied rooms. Even when Johnny was born the house still hadn't lightened up. But, now that Trevor was gone and Johnny was more or less in charge, Claudia planned on doing a lot of redecorating. She didn't want her child growing up like she had, fearing its own home.

Sonny's house, even though it was almost as big as Claudia's, and just as dark, didn't have that same medieval feel, which Claudia was thankful for. It was dark, but in a more modern way, a way that Claudia didn't think would give her childish nightmares. She wasn't expecting Sonny to be living in a house that was painted bright colors; it wasn't exactly the stereotypical living arrangements for a mob boss. But anything was better than the Zacchara mansion. At least in this place, Claudia couldn't be haunted by memories.

Claudia had driven her car through a pair of tall, wrought-iron gates, just like she had at home, and up a long driveway, where one of Sonny's guards directed her to a small garage. After she got out of her car, the guard led her in the front door, through a small entrance hall, and into a room on the right, which Claudia saw was a dining room, and a very nice one at that. The dining room at her house was rarely used—at least when she had lived in the house. Christmas and Easter were really the only times the table had been dusted off. It looked like it was used much more frequently in this house. Maybe it wasn't, but it certainly looked like it was.

The table had been set for two, the plates made of fine china and the glasses shining to perfection. The guard gestured for Claudia to take a seat in the chair nearest to the dining room entrance, which she did, shrugging off her coat as she did so.

"Can I take your coat?" asked the guard. He was a big guy, over six feet and full of muscle. But, at the same time, he looked like a cuddly teddy bear.

Claudia smiled, handing it to him. "Thank you."

"Mr. C will be with you in a moment," said the guard. He turned and walked out of the room.

Claudia sat there for a minute, marveling at what lay ahead for the evening. When Sonny had invited her over for dinner, she certainly hadn't expected this: a home-cooked meal, and to be waited on hand and foot by a huge bodyguard that referred to his boss as Mr. C. Any reluctance she had had a couple days ago about letting Sonny into her baby's life was long gone. She felt completely confident that he would be a good father, even if he didn't necessarily want anything to do with Claudia.

"I'm glad you could make it," a familiar voice said behind her. Claudia turned around and smiled as Sonny walked into the dining room, his hands in his jacket pockets. "Did you find the place okay?"

"It's not exactly hard to miss," said Claudia with a laugh as Sonny walked around her and sat at the opposite end of the table, looking as sexy as ever. Stop, Claudia told herself after this thought had passed through her head. He doesn't like you that way.

"Do you like it?" Sonny asked hopefully. He wanted to make sure that Claudia approved of where he lived; after all, their child would be spending some time here. How much time, Sonny wasn't exactly sure. But they'd work that out eventually. They had nine months, after all. Well, more like eight and a half. But still. Tonight was about getting to know each other.

Claudia nodded, looking around the room with interest. "I think it's great. Totally my style. I mean, anything is better than my house. That place gives me the creeps, even to this day."

"Yeah, I've been in there once or twice," said Sonny. "Kind of reflects on your father's personality."

Claudia couldn't agree more. "Just a little bit," she said, grinning.

At that moment, a short and round Mexican woman entered through a swinging door on the side of the room, carrying two bottles: one of red wine, and one of some kind of fizzy drink.

"_Lo encontr__é, señor Corinthos_," she said in rapid Spanish, presenting Sonny with the two bottles.

"_Gracias, Alameda_," he said, just as quickly. He turned towards Claudia. "_Ella es Claudia_."

When Claudia heard her name thrown in amongst the Spanish, she looked towards the woman, just smiling. She had no idea what to say.

The woman smiled at her for a second, then turned back to Sonny. "_Cuándo te gusto para servir la cena?_"

Sonny considered for a second, then said, "_Tan pronto como esté lista. No hay razón para esperar._"

"_Sí,_ _señor,_" said the woman. She smiled at Claudia one more time, then scuttled back into the kitchen.

Sonny looked up from examining the bottles she had left to see Claudia's bewildered face. He smiled at her confusion. "I take it you don't speak Spanish," he said, looking back at the bottles.

Claudia shook her head. "Not a lick," she admitted. "I took French in high school and my uncle Rudy taught me Italian when I lived with him. No Spanish."

Sonny shrugged as he put the bottles down. "It's pretty much mandatory for me. I do a lot of business in Puerto Rico. I've noticed they tend to have more respect for me when I bother to learn their language. Makes business easier."

"I see," said Claudia, nodding understandingly. "And, from what I've read, your way of doing business seems to work for you."

Sonny grinned. "Tonight's not about business," he said, standing up with the bottle of fizzy drink. "It's about getting to know the mother of my child." Claudia couldn't help but blush when he said that. She was the mother of his child. Well, one of them. Maybe they couldn't work things out the way she wanted to, but the baby growing inside of her stomach would have to create some kind of bond between them. They could be close friends. Ugh, friends. Claudia shivered internally at the word, then told herself not to get upset about it, to just accept the facts and move on.

Sonny unwrapped the foil from the bottle and twisted off the cap, pouring the fizzy drink into Claudia's glass. "Sparkling cider," he said as he poured. "I remember Carly drinking it when she was pregnant with Morgan, though I'm sure she wished she could have had something stronger."

Claudia smiled as Sonny finished pouring the drink, set down the bottle next to her glass, and went back to his seat, pouring his glass of wine. "Tell me about your other kids," she said excitedly. "You have three, right?"

"Yep," said Sonny, nodding as he finished pouring his wine. "Michael's the oldest. He's twelve. Actually, I'm not his real father. I adopted him when I married Carly. But I think of him like my own son. The way I see it, he's my oldest."

Wow, thought Claudia. Now she really didn't have any doubts about his parenting abilities. If he was able to love someone else's child as his own, then he was certainly capable of loving a child that he had actually fathered. "What about the other two?"

"My next oldest is Kristina," Sonny continued. He loved that Claudia was so interested in his other children. That meant a lot to him. "She's ten. Beautiful girl…looks just her mother. I don't see her a lot, like I told you, but Alexis says she does very well in school. But, I mean, she gets that from Alexis."

"Her daddy's not exactly stupid," said Claudia, practically gushing at his modesty.

Sonny smiled to express his thanks, then said, "My youngest is Morgan. He's eight, and he is a funny little kid. God, he can just make you laugh until you cry." Claudia smiled at that, then Sonny asked, "So, how's this baby doing? Have you seen a doctor yet?"

Claudia nodded. "I went on Saturday. Everything's fine; they said this should be a pretty run-of-the-mill pregnancy. Well, biology-wise anyway." She didn't extrapolate, but she didn't have to. Sonny got the gist.

He smiled. "That's good."

Claudia smiled back, ever so slightly. "Well, I have to take all these prenatal vitamins and do all these other precautionary measures. I was looking online. No caffeine, no junk food, no fish, and no stress. I have no idea how I'm gonna make it through these nine months. Actually, it's more like eight," she added hastily, just realizing how fast time had gone by. The whole "avoiding stress" thing started to go out the window as she said, "Oh, my, God, in eight months, I'm gonna have a baby. I'm gonna be a mom to somebody." She looked directly at Sonny, her current attraction shoved slightly to the side. "Aren't you freaking out?"

In all honesty, Sonny was barely holding himself together. Between running the business, trying not to become too romantically attached to Claudia, and raising the children he already had, Sonny was having a hard time digesting that another baby was on the way. But he couldn't show that side to Claudia. No, he needed to be the strong one right now. This baby couldn't come into the world with two hot messes for parents.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he assured, more to himself than to Claudia. "If the doctor said the pregnancy seemed stable, I believe her. And besides, nothing could possible compare to what Carly went through when she was pregnant with Morgan."

If that had been intended to make Claudia feel better, Sonny's attempt had failed. "Why, what happened to Carly?" she asked anxiously.

Great, thought Sonny. He shouldn't have said anything. Claudia was worried enough as it was. But, tonight was about getting to know each other. The birth of Sonny's only biological son was a pretty big event in his life. "My brother, Ric, kidnapped Carly while she was pregnant, and planned on taking the baby. He kept her in a panic room in his house, waiting for Morgan to come."

Claudia's eyes grew as large as the empty dinner plate sitting in front of her. "Ric is Trevor's son, right?" Sonny nodded. "Well, the apple certainly doesn't fall far from the certifiably insane tree."

"You won't have to worry about Ric," Sonny insisted, before Claudia became too frantic. He didn't want to stress her out. "We're okay right now. This was back when we really hated each other."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "I've worried about Trevor for most of my life. Now he's out of the picture, and I really don't want to worry about his spawn."

"Trevor's been with your family for awhile, huh?" asked Sonny, curious about what Trevor had done after leaving his mother.

Claudia nodded. "It seems like it's been forever. He started working for my father when I was about six or seven. Actually, I should say he started controlling my father. Even as a little kid, I knew he was a snake. But my father thought he was God's gift to the world. I remember the first time I saw Trevor." Claudia's eyes glazed over as her memory drifted back to that fateful day. "He knew my father was trying to gain power, and he knew that he'd succeed. He wanted a piece for himself. He came to our house himself one day, and was in my father's office for a good hour, showing everything he had to offer. I remember playing in the hallway when he came out, and I have never gotten a worse vibe from anyone. He gave me the dirtiest look I'd ever seen, like I was the snake. And I remember thinking about grabbing the gun that Daddy kept in a drawer in the hallway and killing him. And I desperately wish I had." As this part of the memory came back, a tear fell from Claudia's right eye, and her voice became slightly choked. "A few months later, I came home from school, and my mother was gone. Daddy said he had sent her away and that she wasn't ever coming back, and I knew that Trevor had done it. I knew that my father would never have sent my mother away on his own. He loved her. I had seen it in his eyes my whole life. And he had loved me, at one point."

Sonny began to see the toll this story was taking on Claudia and said, "You don't have to—"

"The next day," Claudia went on, ignoring Sonny, "the next freaking day, my stepmother moved in and my father insisted that I call her 'Mom.' I threw a tantrum. I just started knocking everything off the shelves in my father's office. I tore pages out of books, and ripped the stuffing out of the pillows, and even threw one of my baseballs through the window. My father found the mess and started hitting me. And Trevor? He just stood in the doorway and watched, waiting for it to be over so he could get on with business."

She paused the story for a second to wipe her eyes and clear her throat, and then said, "Trevor continued to treat me like I was nothing for the rest of my childhood. Then, I started growing up, and he decided he wanted to notice me." For the past couple minutes, Claudia's story had had control of itself. But now that she knew where it was leading, she stopped it immediately. She had never told anyone about what Trevor had done to her, what he had made her do. Maria and her father had been there to witness it. Anthony had told Uncle Rudy over the phone after demanding that Claudia live with him. Johnny didn't even know. Claudia had not, on her own, told anyone exactly what happened. No one knew her perspective. And she wasn't sure she was ready for it yet, especially not with Sonny. She had just met him, and this dinner may have been about getting to know one another, but this story would take things too far. It was gross, and wrong, and didn't put Claudia in any better of a light. She was carrying Sonny's child. He couldn't know what she had done when she was sixteen. That would make her look like an even bigger slut than the one he probably already thought she was.

Sonny watched Claudia stop, and said, "I know what it's like to have your life torn apart by Trevor." Claudia sniffled in response. "But what I went through is nothing compared to what you went through. No one should have to lose their mother like that because some sick person wants money and power. And no one should have to lose their father to the insanity that consumed yours."

Claudia gave a small smile. "Believe it or not, Daddy used to have some kind of compassion. My mom and I were the light of his life. He treated her like the typical Italian wife. She was always on a pedestal. She never had to lift a finger. My mom didn't like things being done for her, but Daddy didn't care. I always promised myself that I would find love like theirs some day. Too bad it doesn't exist anymore."

It took all of Sonny's willpower not to blurt out his feelings. He would treat Claudia like that, if she would let him. He would insist that she ride through this entire pregnancy stress-free. He'd do everything for her, so she could focus on the baby. But their situation wouldn't allow that. They weren't married. They hadn't planned this baby for months. They were strangers. They couldn't possibly fall in love. Sonny had to focus on the business, and Claudia would probably get back into it eventually. They didn't have time to worry about themselves. That would be selfish. It was about the baby, and providing for it. Love would have to wait.

A silence came over the room, and Claudia finally broke it, saying, "I'm sorry I went off on a rant like that. But my story's a little too complicated to have possibly made this a normal first date."

Did she just say date? Sonny's heart skipped with joy. She considered this a date? It wasn't just him? Maybe she was attracted to him, or at least somewhat interested. Maybe there was a chance. Who was he kidding? They could make this work, all of it. The baby, the business, and them. If both parties were willing, they could pull it off.

But Sonny still couldn't take the bait. It was too early. "I'm not that simple either. We've both been through a lot, I think, but maybe that's a good thing. We can help each other through everything, past and present. It'll take some time, but we've got time. A good eight months, in fact."

Claudia smiled. Okay, so, he hadn't jumped on her dropping of "date," but it was close enough. Even though she was totally screwed up, he still wanted to get to know her. Maybe there was something more to all of this. Only time would tell.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_

As Sonny looked into the eyes of Carly and Alexis, sitting at a somewhat awkward distance apart on his couch, he completely and totally froze. He knew that he had to tell them about Claudia, but he couldn't seem to find the right words. Nonetheless, they did have every right to know that their children would be getting a brother or sister in about eight months.

But where did he start? Did he just come out with the fact that he was having another child? Did he tell the whole story, starting from his rejected proposal to Kate (because they didn't even know about that)? Did he tell them that there was another Zacchara, first and foremost, and that he had unknowingly become involved with her? What did he do? Carly Jacks and Alexis Davis were two of the most formidable women he had ever known. No matter how he finally managed to explain this mess, they would not be happy.

"Sonny, you gonna start anytime soon?" Carly asked. She hadn't even bothered to take off her jacket once inside. "Not all of our careers can have as flexible a schedule as yours."

Typical Carly, Sonny thought to himself. Rude and impatient. Two of the reasons he would always love her. "Look, this is kind of a complicated situation. Not something that can be explained very easily."

"What do you mean?" asked Carly, putting on her worried voice and standing up. Alexis just watched her calmly. Carly walked closer to Sonny, her face inches from his. "Did something happen with the business, something bad?"

Sonny didn't know how to respond to it. Yes, something had happened with the business, but was it good or bad? Sonny hadn't decided yet. Meeting Claudia was one of the most wonderful moments of his life, but the unexpected baby and work consequences weren't exactly ideal.

Carly seemed to take Sonny's pause as a yes. Her face fell instantly and her voice started to shake, "Sonny, if something is wrong, something that could put our kids in danger, I need to know, and so does Alexis." She gestured at one of Sonny's many other women as she said her name. "Just spit it out."

"The kids will be fine," said Sonny, walking away from Carly and towards his desk. He hated when she got in his face like that. It made him extremely uncomfortable, especially since they weren't married anymore. He stood behind his desk and leaned on it, his palms sweaty. "It's just…complicated."

"Oh, please," said Alexis, crossing her legs indignantly. At least she had provided the common courtesy of taking her coat off. "Everything with you is complicated. You obviously called Carly and I here because whatever you have to say has something to do with Kristina and the boys. Your children are the only thing we have in common."

Carly didn't even seem to take offense to this as she said, "How complicated could it be? We've gotten through your business drama before. We'll do it again."

Sonny shook his head. "This is different."

"Well, explain," said Carly, folding her arms.

Sonny watched as Carly made this important gesture, and decided what he would do. He'd tell the story from the beginning. That way he could get through it without a bunch of questions.

But before he could even open his mouth, the sound of his front door opening, a beautiful voice saying, "What's up, Max?" and the clicking of high heels forced Sonny's words back into his throat. Oh, no. He looked at his watch. Seven o'clock. It was the time he had told her to come over, so she wasn't early. It was all Carly's fault. Sonny had told her and Alexis to be here at six thirty. Alexis had come five minutes before the scheduled time. Carly hadn't waltzed in until quarter of seven. And Sonny hadn't had time to call Claudia and warn her. He wasn't ready for her to meet the other mothers of his children quite yet.

"It's amazing that I got here in time. Traffic was a bit—" Claudia stopped talking the second she saw Carly and Alexis, who were staring at her in confusion. She looked over at Sonny, her eyes asking her questions for her.

Before Sonny could diffuse the situation, Carly turned sharply towards him and asked, "Who's this?"

Great, thought Sonny. Just freaking perfect. "This was what I was going to tell you about."

Claudia raised an eyebrow. This? They weren't dating, but come on. "Did I miss something? Am I not supposed to be here? Should I go and let you talk about me in peace?"

"Who are you?" Carly snapped, getting into that territorial mood that she always had when she was around Sonny and what seemed to be another one of his women.

Before Claudia could introduce herself, Sonny jumped back into the conversation. "This is Claudia. Claudia Zacchara."

Claudia practically laughed at the faces that the two women made when they heard her full name. She was used to it by now; ever since she was little, her last name had carried some baggage that meant a lot of things to a lot of people. But she still always got the biggest kick when her identity was sprung upon someone.

"Did you say Zacchara?" Alexis asked, standing up next to Carly, the two of them seeming to present a united front of Mother's Of Sonny Corinthos's Children.

"That's me," said Claudia with a shrug and a smile, which Sonny would have found cute if he wasn't having an anxiety attack.

"Another Zacchara?" Carly practically whispered, turning back to Sonny. "It's not like Anthony and Johnny weren't bad enough."

"Hey!" shouted Claudia at the mention of her baby brother's name. "If you're gonna talk smack about my brother, don't do it around me. I don't even know who you are."

"Carly Jacks," said Carly without hesitation, taking a step towards Claudia.

Claudia's eyes glazed over as she put two and two together. She looked at the other woman and guess aloud, "And you're Alexis Davis."

Alexis nodded slowly, slightly bewildered. "Yes."

Claudia turned to Sonny. "This was tonight?"

Sonny rubbed his face with his hands, groaning softly before he said, "Yeah. I thought it would be over before you got here. I didn't realize how difficult this would be to explain."

"Explain what?" asked Alexis, sounding exasperated.

Sonny and Claudia glanced at each other. Claudia got the feeling from Sonny that he almost wanted her to say something, but she wouldn't. No, she had already had the burden of telling Johnny and Trevor. No way was she telling Carly and Alexis. That was Sonny's job.

After an eye roll from Claudia, Sonny knew that she wasn't going to say anything, so he started instead. "Claudia and I met about a month ago at a bar in a hotel. We didn't know anything about each other, not even names. And…well, we…" Sonny couldn't get himself to finish. Having both Carly and Alexis stare him down as he told the story was making things extremely difficult. Why had he thought that this would be a quick thing?

Claudia saw Sonny struggling, and, even though she didn't want to, she decided to help him out. "One thing led to another, and now I'm carrying his baby," she blurted out, as if it was no big deal.

What happened next was not what Claudia had expected. She was used to the blank stare that followed the reveal of her pregnancy. What she was not expecting was for Carly and Alexis to start yelling over top of each other.

"God, Sonny, again?"

"You can't keep it in your pants, just once?"

"She's a Zacchara! Her father is your enemy! How is this all supposed to work out?"

"I swear, you impregnate every girl you sleep with. I mean, honestly, put a freaking condom on!"

"Is this going to affect Kristina and Michael and Morgan? I mean, is this organization going to be able to function safely at all?"

"Maybe you should just get a vasectomy. That would make things a lot easier."

"Enough!" Sonny finally shouted, cutting off the women's rampage. "I know I messed up!" Alexis and Carly were shocked into silence. "This obviously wasn't a planned thing, especially given where I have stood in terms of the Zacchara organization. But it's happening now, and I need to make it work! I didn't call you here so that you could throw insults at me! I think my children, and their mothers, have a right to know if I'm having another child! If you've got opinions, fine, but I don't want to hear them! They won't change anything! Claudia is pregnant with my child, and I am going to raise it, because it's mine! You better tell Michael and Morgan and Kristina, or I will! This child is going to have brothers and a sister that love it! Do you hear me?"

Claudia had never seen this side of Sonny before, and she wasn't sure whether to be impressed or scared. On one hand, Carly and Alexis were a tad out of line. Sure, they had, at one point, been romantically involved, but their time with Sonny was over. If something was endangering their children, they had every right to speak up, but Claudia didn't think that would happen. If anything, their children would be safer as a result of the Zacchara-Corinthos alliance. Nobody would dare mess with either organization, at least not now. And Claudia didn't plan on being any kind of threat to the children that Sonny already had.

On the other hand, Claudia could see how their sudden outbursts could be a result of shock and anger. Apparently, things like this had happened before. This confused Claudia, as Sonny had only mentioned the three children by Carly and Alexis. What had Carly meant when she said that he impregnated every girl he slept with? Was Claudia supposed to assume that a hot catch like Sonny had only ever been with three women?

A silence passed over Sonny's living room as everyone, including Sonny, digested the words that had just come out of his mouth. Finally, Carly said, through gritted teeth, "You really did mess up this time, Sonny. She is a Zacchara." She pointed at Claudia accusingly. "She's essentially the enemy. Do you know what Trevor and the rest of them are going to do when this gets out? They're going to go after you, Sonny, and your kids. This isn't going to work, no matter how much you want it to."

"Before you start rambling about things that you know nothing about," Claudia said, forcing Carly's head to snap in her direction, "Trevor knows what happened. After I told him, I fired him, because Sonny and my family have made an alliance, and I know Trevor wouldn't respect it." Carly folded her arms sullenly again. "Also, please don't lump me in a group with my father and Trevor. You don't know anything about me. For your information, I hate both of them, and would rather not be associated with what they've done. But, you can't choose your family, or your lawyer, apparently, so there's no point wishing that part of my past away. But I can promise you something, both of you." She drew Alexis into her gaze. "What happened between Sonny and I was a mistake. There's no denying it. But I promise I won't let what happened affect you or your children. That was not my intention. I'd appreciate it if you didn't take it as such."

Sonny looked at Alexis and Carly. Alexis seemed to be taking Claudia's word, which was just how Alexis was: fair, balanced, and willing to hear both sides. Carly still looked pissed, but Sonny didn't expect anything less. It was half jealousy, half fear, and he knew it. He also knew she'd never admit to feeling either of those things.

"Well, I've heard all I need to hear," said Alexis, grabbing her coat from the arm of the couch. She turned to Sonny. "I'll tell Kristina, but if she has any questions, I'm deferring her to you. This is not my mess to explain." She turned to Carly. "Carly, it was a pleasure as always." Then she turned to Claudia. "Nice to meet you. And good luck." She gave Sonny a quick glare, and was about to walk out the door when he called her back.

"Alexis, do me a favor."

She put on a sarcastic grin. "What, besides telling our daughter that you're having a child out of wedlock with a woman you barely know?"

Sonny ignored her jab and said, "Don't say anything to Kate. She doesn't know yet. Something happened with us, and we're on the rocks right now. Please don't say anything."

Alexis sniffed. "Kate told me. But I won't tell her about this. That's your job." And with that, she left.

Claudia, Sonny, and Carly stood in an awkward silence for a second before Sonny said, "You can go, Carly, unless you have something else to say."

Carly looked between him and Claudia for a moment, then said, "I won't let this hurt my children. You both better be sure you know what you're doing."

"Would it kill you to be nice, Carly?" Sonny asked. "Claudia's been through a lot. You think I've had hell with Trevor? You should hear her story."

Claudia appreciated the sentiment, though she mentally reminded herself that Sonny still didn't know everything. "I think he's a slimy bastard, too. He doesn't deserve the life he's been allowed to have."

Carly rolled her eyes. "Just because you hate Trevor doesn't make me like you," she sneered. "You or your family. You've been the cause of a lot of trouble around here lately."

"I just got here," said Claudia with a small laugh. "Now, whatever my father or Trevor did to you, or your family, I apologize. I know what it's like to be up against both of them."

"Oh, please," groaned Carly. "You're a spoiled mob princess. You probably haven't had to lift a finger a day in your life."

"Well, it is hard to lift your finger after your father broke it," Claudia snapped at her.

This silenced Carly for a second. But only a second. "Be that as it may, I don't trust you any farther than I could throw you."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm pregnant, and I'm sure you wouldn't want a Zacchara suing your ass."

"With what lawyer? I thought you said you fired Trevor."

"I'm sure Sonny wouldn't mind me borrowing his."

"Too bad I'll get to her first. I happen to be at the top of Diane Miller's list of favorite clients."

"Enough, both of you!" Sonny interjected, feeling the argument had gone on for far too long. Claudia and Carly both stared at him with daggers in their eyes. God, they were so much alike that it scared Sonny. "Now, you're both going to be seeing a lot of each other, so just try to get along. Or pretend, at the very least."

Claudia gave no sign of response. Carly just picked up her purse from the coffee table and said, as she slowly walked towards the door, "Just make sure it doesn't get complicated, or at least more complicated than usual." With that, she left. Claudia breathed a huge sigh of relief, like she had been holding her breath for that entire encounter.

"I'm sorry about that," said Sonny, sitting down on the couch, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "I forgot that this isn't any ordinary ex-wife that we're dealing with. This is Carly."

"She seems to still have the hots for you," said Claudia, unbuttoning her black coat and sitting down next to Sonny. "I'm kind of surprised you two aren't still married."

"We've been down that road," said Sonny, brushing away the memories. "About four times, actually."

Claudia's eyes became huge. "You married her four times?"

Sonny nodded. "Yeah, you'd think, that after the second or third, it would start to get old."

Claudia laughed, then remembered what Carly had said. "I know this is getting a little personal, but what did Carly mean when she said that you impregnated every girl you ever slept with?"

Sonny had kind of hoped that Claudia hadn't picked up on that, but maybe explaining himself wouldn't be so bad. They had really gotten to know each other over the past couple of weeks. They'd had dinner together almost every night. Sonny always cooked; Claudia had enough going on without worrying about preparing a meal. He was really starting to like Claudia as more than just a pretty girl who was carrying his child. "Well, I already have three children with two different women, which you know. My first wife, Lily, was pregnant when she died."

Again, Claudia's eyes widened. "Oh, my God, Sonny. I had no idea."

Sonny shrugged. "You wouldn't. It was kind of a complicated situation—"

"Your whole life sounds like a complicated situation," said Claudia, smiling just a tad.

Sonny nodded. He couldn't help but agree. "And then, a few years ago, I made a decision that I wasn't very proud of regarding another girl who got pregnant. She ended up losing the baby, because…well, it was—"

"Complicated."

"Yeah," said Sonny, nodding. He really didn't want to tell Claudia about Sam. That was not a moment in his life that he felt really described him. He was utterly ashamed at what he had done, and he wanted Claudia to like him. The fact that he had kids by different mothers running all over the place didn't help things as it was. How those kids came into (or didn't come into) this world were entirely different stories.

Claudia saw how uncomfortable Sonny was becoming, and immediately changed the subject. "I'll try to get along with Carly. She does remind me a lot of myself, which is really scary. I thought the world could only handle one of me."

Sonny laughed. "Carly is definitely a force to be reckoned with. But don't take it personally. She's not always the most welcoming, especially towards girls I've gotten pregnant. She's territorial like that."

"What is she, like your guard dog or something?" Claudia scoffed. Sonny just stared at her. "I'm sorry. I really will try to be nice."

Sonny seriously doubted it would happen, but he certainly appreciated her intentions. It was important to him that she get along with Carly and Alexis. After all, they were the mothers of his other children, and when decisions needed to be made, the two of them would have to stop being exclusive and allow Claudia into their club.

Because, eventually, the mothers of his children wouldn't be enough. She'd have to meet his children, too.


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter Eleven_

It took all of Claudia's strength not to drive over the speed limit. She was so excited to tell Sonny the good news: she had made it through the dark and ominous woods that were the first trimester of human pregnancy.

Even though Sonny's help, from a father's perspective, had been amazing, Claudia didn't have a woman around to really tell her what kind of experience her pregnancy would be. Claudia would usually depend on her mother for such advice, but that obviously wasn't an option. So, Claudia had resorted to the internet. Between medical sites and pregnant lady blogs, Claudia felt like a certified ob-gyn with all the information she had learned. The internet was a great source; the medical sites told her exactly when to be concerned and exactly what was and was not good to do during her pregnancy. But the blogs were more for emotional support. Claudia had to keep reminding herself that she wasn't the only pregnant woman who had walked this earth, though she certainly felt like it. It was uncharted territory, especially considering the fact that she had never wanted to set sail on this adventure. So she was taking all the help she could get. It wasn't much, but beggars couldn't be choosers, especially when they had gotten pregnant as a result of their own stupidity.

In both the blogs and the medical sites, Claudia had read some horror stories about the first trimester. It was the time when the pregnancy symptoms were especially present, as a woman's body was adjusting to the smaller one growing inside it. Claudia hadn't had too many problems; her morning sickness only lasted through the morning (not all day, like some women), she had gotten some headaches (which wasn't a big deal either, as she had been susceptible to migraines throughout her early twenties), and her boobs getting bigger hadn't really bothered her. But it wasn't the symptoms that Claudia had been nervous about. It was the miscarriage possibility.

According to the medical sites, the most likely time for a woman to lose her child was during the first trimester. After it was over, the odds became slimmer. Claudia had just passed the first trimester mark today, and, according to Dr. Lee, Claudia's ob-gyn, the pregnancy seemed to be progressing at a normal rate.

No matter how much Claudia hadn't wanted this baby, once it was inside of her, she couldn't stand the possibility of losing it. This had surprised Claudia greatly; never in her wildest dreams had she imagined caring for a child this much. But here she was, pregnant and happy. She had even been following the rules. It had been three months since her last cup of coffee, she'd avoided fish at all costs (especially because it smelled awful, at least to her), and she'd only allowed herself one candy bar, because she had been craving it so bad and she didn't think one would hurt. But after that craving had turned into cramps, Claudia promised herself that she wouldn't break another rule.

But she wasn't just following the rules. She was being completely and totally proactive. She was attending prenatal yoga classes. She read a chapter of _Harry Potter_ to the baby every night (even though she knew she would have to reread the books to it eventually; hopefully the baby would remember some of the big picture ideas), and she had even invested in those giant Dr. Dre headphones that she turned all the way up and placed on her stomach so that her baby could listen to music. Dr. Lee had told her that the baby's brain hadn't developed enough yet for it to hear these things, but Claudia didn't care. Her baby was going to be a genius. She was sure it heard every word and lyric.

Claudia pulled into Sonny's driveway, excited to tell him the great news. These past couple months had really brought the two of them closer together. Not in the way Claudia wanted, but they had at least become close friends. Their conversations no longer consisted of just tales from the past, but they actually got around to talking about their day with each other. Sonny would tell Claudia details about the business, which Claudia appreciated; she had every right to know what was going on. It was her organization. Sonny was merely watching over it, along with Johnny. They really had a lot in common. In fact, Claudia went so far as to consider Sonny as her male counterpart. In other words, if she had been a man, she would have been exactly like him.

Max opened the door for her, as usual, but what was unusual was the fact that Claudia wasn't greeted by the official silence that Sonny's home contained. In fact, she was greeted by a sound that she hadn't heard in a long time, a sound that could only mean one thing.

After having a quick exchange with Max, Claudia opened the door to Sonny's living room, and didn't know whether to be pleased or frightened. Sonny was sitting on the couch between two boys, one of them almost a teenager, the other one a couple years younger. The older one had bright red hair and freckles, and looked nothing like Sonny. The younger boy had short, spiky brown hair, along with Sonny's skin tone, eyes, and dimples. The three of them were laughing in triumph as a video game played on the flat screen television. In the armchair sat a little girl flipping through a small, yet rather thick, book. She had long brown hair and big brown eyes.

"Sorry I'm late for the party," said Claudia, and all four heads turned towards her. When Sonny saw who it was, he immediately paused the game and stood up, a little nervous about his pending introduction.

"Dad, come on, I'm so close to winning," moaned the older boy, reaching for his father's controller.

"Just wait a second," said Sonny, walking over to Claudia and smiling as his way of greeting. "I want you guys to meet someone."

"Is this the lady you got pregnant?" asked the older boy.

"Michael," Sonny warned. Michael smiled mischievously. "This is Claudia. Claudia, that's my older son, Michael," he said, gesturing.

"Hi, Michael," said Claudia with a nervous smile.

"And that's Morgan."

"Do you play video games?" asked Morgan. "Because Dad is really bad and I need someone who actually knows what they're doing on my team."

Claudia laughed. "I don't think I've played a video game a day in my life, but I'm sure you can teach me."

Morgan smiled broadly, revealing a couple missing teeth. He turned to Michael. "You can have Dad. Me and Claudia are gonna kick your butt."

"Yeah, right," said Michael, rolling his eyes.

"And that's Kristina, over there," said Sonny, changing the subject in order to prevent an all-out war between the brothers.

Claudia smiled at her. "What are you reading?"

Kristina held up the cover. "_Gone With the Wind_."

Claudia gaped. "Wow, that's quite an undertaking for a ten-year-old."

"I'm in advanced reading classes," bragged Kristina. "But this isn't for the class. This is just for fun."

"Well, I think you and I have different definitions of 'fun,'" said Claudia with a small laugh.

"Dad, can we go back to the game?" asked Michael impatiently.

Sonny waved him away as he turned to Claudia. "Play without me. I need to talk to Claudia for a second." The sounds of cartoon violence reentered the room as Michael unpaused the game. Kristina went back to her book. Sonny looked at Claudia anxiously and asked, "So, what did the doctor say?"

Claudia smiled broadly. "She said everything is going fine, that the baby's doing well."

Sonny returned Claudia's smile, surprised at his feelings. Before Claudia had come into his life, Sonny hadn't planned on having more children, even with Kate, if she had said yes to his proposal. He loved the three children he had already and didn't want any more out of life. But just knowing that another child of his was on the way, and knowing what it felt like to lose a child, he couldn't help but be thankful for this one's safety. He hadn't planned for it, but of course he loved it. How could he not? It was his.

Claudia was practically bursting with ecstasy. Sonny's smile told her everything. He really was committed to her and this baby. There was no denying it. And he was even introducing her to his kids. He really did want this whole mess to work itself out.

"Morgan, stop pausing the game," said Michael in his commanding big-brother voice.

"I don't want to play anymore," said Morgan, setting down his controller. "I wanna talk to Claudia about the baby."

Claudia smiled. She was glad that at least one of Sonny's kids seemed to be taking a liking to her. She took off her jacket, set down her purse, and walked over to the couch, sitting next to Morgan. "Are you excited to be a big brother?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I hate being the youngest. Michael always picks on me."

"I do not," defended Michael.

"Are you having a boy or a girl?" Morgan asked, ignoring his brother.

Claudia shrugged. "It'll be a couple months before we know that."

"I hope it's a boy," said Morgan, voicing his thoughts aloud. "I want to play videogames with him, and teach him how to throw a baseball. And then someone can be on my team when me and Michael wrestle."

"I want a sister," said Kristina. "I already have two brothers, and I don't want another one. And I think you should name her Scarlet, like the girl from _Gone with the Wind_," she added, holding up the earmarked book again.

"Do you want a boy or a girl, Claudia?" asked Morgan, leaning in towards her.

That was a good question. Claudia hadn't really given it much thought. She was so concerned about making sure that the baby arrived safely that the gender hadn't seemed to be of much importance. "It doesn't matter to me," she answered honestly. "But, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Kristina; if it is a girl, I'm naming her after my mom."

"What was your mom's name?" asked Morgan.

Claudia couldn't get over how cute he was with all his questions. She usually hated being interviewed, but this little guy was just too adorable. "Her name was Dominica," answered Claudia.

Morgan smiled. "That's a pretty name. If you have a Dominica, I promise I won't let the kids at school pick on her. I'll stand up for like Michael stands up for me."

"Oh, so you do stand up for your little brother," observed Claudia jokingly, peering around Morgan to look at Sonny's other son.

Michael shrugged indifferently. "I'm the only one who's allowed to mess with him."

Typical older brother answer, thought Claudia, rolling her eyes quickly. "Well, I know that whether it's a boy or a girl, she's going to have two great brothers and one great sister."

"Can I read to her?" Kristina asked. "I'm a good reader."

"But you read all that boring stuff," Michael pointed out. "I'd read it comic books."

"If it's a girl, she wouldn't want you to read her comic books," Kristina shot back.

"I've actually been reading _Harry Potter _to the baby," Claudia mentioned. "Did you guys read those?"

Morgan started bouncing in his seat as he said, "I love _Harry Potter_! Fred and George are my favorite!"

"No way," said Kristina. "Hermione's the best. She knows everything."

"You're both wrong," interjected Michael. "Everyone knows that Sirius is the best character."

"Who do you like, Claudia?" Morgan asked, bringing her back into the conversation.

Claudia didn't even need to think about her answer. "I always liked Luna."

Morgan became instantly excited again. "I like Luna, too. She's my favorite girl character. Maybe that can be your baby's middle name, if she's a girl: Luna. It's another pretty name."

"Dominica Luna?" Michael questioned. "That doesn't exactly flow."

"What about Luna Dominica?" Kristina suggested. "That's pretty."

"I like it, too," agreed Morgan. "What do you think, Claudia?"

Claudia didn't know what to say. About half an hour ago, she didn't even care if her baby was a boy or a girl, and now here she was, sitting with Sonny's other children, and making a decision on a name.

She considered it. Luna Dominica. She had to fit Dominica in there somewhere. Claudia absolutely refused to have a girl without that as her first or middle name. But what about Luna? Granted, it was her favorite character from _Harry Potter_. It was also Italian for "moon," which linked back to her heritage. And Luna was a beautiful name, there was no denying that.

She smiled at Morgan. "I promise I'll name her Luna Dominica if she's a girl."

Morgan grinned back. "But what if it's a boy?"

"Alright, Morgan, enough questions," said Sonny, finally jumping into the conversation. He had been standing back for awhile on purpose. He wanted to see how Claudia and his kids interacted without him forcing conversation topics on them. Sonny noticed that Michael was a little withdrawn, but that probably stemmed from his childhood wish of his parents getting back together for good. Sonny couldn't really tell with Kristina, but he rarely could; he honestly didn't know his own daughter well enough to detect her mood. Morgan, obviously, had really taken a liking to her.

"Oh, it's fine," said Claudia. She had completely forgotten Sonny was there. "I think your kids are great."

"Hey, Claudia," said Morgan, grabbing her attention back. "Dad just got us a new swing set for out back. Do you wanna see it?" Before she could even answer, Morgan jumped off the couch and started pulling Claudia towards the door by her hand, excitement written all over his face.

Claudia laughed, standing up. "It doesn't look like I have much of a choice."

**11/4/09**

"Alright, I've got a movie in, and two more up there for them when the first one's over," said Sonny as he descended the stairs. Claudia was sitting on the couch in his living room, sipping a hot cup of herbal tea. When she had first read that it was good for her pregnancy, Claudia was positive that she'd hate the stuff. But it actually wasn't half bad. And, if she pretended hard enough, it tasted like coffee.

"They'll be okay up there?" she asked as he made it to the bottom of the stairs and walked over to the armchair to sit down.

Sonny nodded. "A movie should distract them from each other. And the three of them don't see each other enough to fight. Plus, they don't get to sleep over here a lot, and I don't think they want that privilege taken away."

Claudia smiled, setting her tea down. "They're great kids, Sonny."

Sonny blushed at Claudia's implied praise of his parenting skills. "I can't take all the credit. Actually, I can barely take any of it. That's all Carly and Alexis."

"Carly and Alexis didn't pop out those babies all by themselves," Claudia pointed out. "I think that children can be influenced by the environment they're raised in, but I also think certain traits are genetic. I doubt Morgan got his sense of humor from his mother."

Sonny wanted to laugh a lot harder than he did, mostly because Claudia had a point. "I'm sorry about the way he acted at dinner. He's old enough to know that he shouldn't play with his food."

Claudia just shrugged it off. "It didn't bother me. I enjoyed learning the correct way to launch a meatball into Kristina's water glass."

"Yeah, he's full of ideas, that one," Sonny mused. "That he gets from Carly."

"You haven't had too many bad ideas yourself," Claudia pointed out.

Sonny grinned again. "I just don't think I've had as much influence on my kids as I would have liked."

Claudia shook her head. "Sonny, you can't doubt yourself. I don't doubt you. Just spending time with all of them today…I'm glad you're my baby's father. I want my kid to be just as great as the ones you already have, and I think it will be, because you're going to help raise it."

It was one of the greatest compliments Sonny had ever heard. Despite his mob background, Sonny didn't think he was a bad father. Sure, the way Michael, Morgan, and Kristina had turned out was all because of Carly and Alexis, but maybe Claudia had a point. Maybe certain things were inherited. And maybe he could be a good father, a real father, to the baby that she was carrying.

"Are you really going to name the baby Luna Dominica if it's a girl?" Sonny asked, remembering the conversation from earlier.

Claudia nodded without hesitation. "I've never gone back on a promise. Do you like it, though?"

Sonny didn't have to hesitate either. "I love it."

"Good," said Claudia, smiling. "I still haven't been able to think of a boy's name. Have you?"

Sonny shook his head. "No, but let's wait until we know what it's going to be. No need to stress ourselves out if it does end up being a girl."

He was right. "You're right," said Claudia, standing up. She didn't want to, but she had to leave. "I'd better go. I don't like driving too late at night anymore. I've had this weird fear of some stupid-ass drunk driver running me off the road. It's stupid, I know, but I'd just feel safer if I got home earlier."

Sonny understood. He didn't want her to leave, but he understood. "Thanks for coming. I'm really glad that you and the kids are getting along."

Claudia smiled broadly. "Me, too. I think they're great. Hopefully Carly and Alexis will let me hang out with them more often."

Sonny nodded in agreement. "Here, let me get your jacket." He walked around his desk and grabbed Claudia's dark denim jacket from the back of his chair. He walked back over to Claudia and, without even thinking, helped her into it.

As Claudia slid one arm, then the other, through the sleeves of her jacket, she felt a tingle go down her spine. She and Sonny hadn't been this close since the night they had made love. The process of putting her jacket on seemed to go in slow motion. She could hear every breath he took. She almost thought she could hear the constant thump of his heartbeat. She wanted the moment to last forever, but it didn't. Before she knew it, her jacket was on, and Sonny was handing her the black purse that had been sitting on the coffee table.

As Sonny handed Claudia her purse, he was mentally kicking himself. Why had he helped her with her jacket? He should have just given it to her. Now she was giving him a funny look. Had he crossed a line? Of course he had. Claudia didn't want to be anything more than friends, and he knew it. Why hadn't he been able to help himself? Was it because he hadn't been that close to her in months? Was it some kind of deep, animalistic craving inside him? He was attracted to Claudia. In fact, his attraction grew every time he saw her. Every day, she seemed twice as pretty, her jokes twice as funny, and the baby between them twice as special. He couldn't help himself. He wanted her as more than just a friend.

There was an awkward silence as Claudia took her purse from Sonny, then said, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Sonny finally snapped out of it. "Yeah, tomorrow. Usual time?"

Claudia nodded. "Yep. Thanks for everything. Tell the kids good night for me." With that, she left, leaving Sonny impatient for the second when she would return.


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter Twelve_

"There you are." Sonny felt terrible for coming late. He had gotten held up in a meeting, and in his world, the excuse "I'm about to go hear my baby's heart beat for the first time" didn't always work.

"I'm so sorry," he said, sincerely meaning it as he took long strides towards Claudia, who was standing outside an exam room in General Hospital's maternity ward. She looked absolutely beautiful, as always. She had finally reached that stage in her pregnancy where a little bump was beginning to show, and Sonny saw that she was practically glowing with the life inside of her. Along with the bump came new clothes. Claudia couldn't fit into those little red dresses and tight skinny jeans anymore, and six-inch heels were out of the question. She had finally given in and gone to get maternity clothes about two weeks before. Still determined to keep with her regular uniform of black and red, she was wearing a flowing scarlet maternity top and black pants. Even though it was June, she was wearing a pair of high black Uggs. She refused to be seen in sneakers. Even though she wanted the best for the baby, Sonny knew that she wouldn't sacrifice her entire fashion sense if there was a way to work around it.

"The meeting?" Claudia guessed, her hands caressing the tiny bump.

Sonny nodded. "I forgot how difficult it was to reroute two shipments," he said sarcastically. "Apparently an hour just wasn't enough."

Claudia laughed. "It's a pain in the ass, but I miss it."

"What, rerouting shipments?" Sonny questioned.

"No," said Claudia, still chuckling. "The business. I was good at it. I wasn't very good at a lot of things, at least that's what Daddy always told me. But the business made sense to me."

Sonny understood that. The business was where he fit in. It was where he could use all of his skills and display none of his faults. It was the perfect place for someone like him. It was almost a calling. A sketchy calling, but a calling nonetheless.

"Should we go in?" he suggested. He was forty-five minutes late, and Claudia had promised to wait for him. He didn't think Dr. Lee was too happy with him right now. Who knew how many other clients she had lined up? But still, things happened. In fact, it was almost payback for all the times the General Hospital doctors had kept Sonny waiting.

Claudia was practically bursting with excitement. Two amazing things were going to happen today. One: she was going to hear her baby's heart beat for the very first time. Two: she was going to find out whether she was having a boy or a girl.

In all her anticipation, Claudia didn't verbally respond to Sonny's suggestion. Instead, she grabbed him roughly by the hand and practically dragged him into the exam room, where a very impatient Dr. Lee was waiting.

"I'm sorry we kept you waiting," Sonny apologized. "It was my fault."

"It's fine," said Dr. Lee, obviously still miffed about the whole thing. She glanced quickly at Claudia and said, "Hop on up."

Claudia was a pro at getting herself into the stirrups by now, so it didn't take her long to get herself adjusted. Sonny stood up by Claudia's head while Dr. Lee flipped on a bunch of machines, then grabbed a couple things from the counter in the exam room.

"This is the gel for the ultrasound," she said, indicating a tube that she held in her hand. "It's going to be a little cold, but you'll get used to it pretty quickly."

Claudia didn't care how cold it was going to be. Hell, Dr. Lee could dump a bucket of dry ice on Claudia right now if it meant seeing the life that was growing inside of her. Dr. Lee pulled Claudia's shirt up a little, revealing the bump underneath. She squirted some gel onto Claudia's stomach. She had been right; it was cold. But Claudia ignored it. She looked up at Sonny in anticipation. He was smiling right back down at her.

Dr. Lee began running some sort of medical probe over the gelled area of Claudia's stomach. Both Claudia and Sonny stared at the screen to their right.

"Is that it?" Claudia asked, tearing up as a small figure came into view on the screen.

"Yep," said Dr. Lee, nodding. "She's growing at a great pace."

Claudia took a quick glance up at Sonny, who was also looking at her. "She?"

Sonny couldn't believe it. Another daughter? Now he'd have two of each. And this time, he'd actually get to raise her. Sure, he had loved raising Michael and Morgan. They were his sons, and he loved them with all his heart. He didn't love Kristina any less, but he hadn't really been able to have the experience of raising a girl. Alexis hadn't let him. But Claudia had promised him that he could be a part of this baby's life. He would actually be able to raise a daughter. He never thought he'd get this opportunity again. But Claudia had given it to him. Claudia, a woman who he thought he would only spend one night with, and then never see again. Here she was, with him, while they stared at their daughter on the screen.

"Do you hear that?" Claudia asked, still choked up. Sonny listened. It was faint, but he heard it. The sound was unmistakable. It was the sound of a human heart beating. A tiny, growing, wonderful human heart.

"She's so beautiful," said Claudia, her gaze continuously shifting between Sonny and the screen. "Look what we did."

Without thinking, Sonny reached down and grabbed one of Claudia's hands, squeezing it tight. "It's amazing."

"It's a miracle, that's what it is," Claudia responded, taking total notice of Sonny's grip around her hand. She squeezed right back. "Look at her. That's my daughter. That's our daughter. That's Luna. Luna Dominica Corinthos."


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter Thirteen_

"Are your eyes closed?"

"Yes, Sonny, they're closed."

"Are you sure?"

"Freaking positive. Stop asking."

Sonny laughed. "This is a good surprise. You don't have to be so hostile."

"Then stop asking me. It's a million degrees outside, and I'm the size of a house. I think I have the right to be a little hostile."

"Oh, please." Claudia had been complaining about her weight gain ever since she'd started showing. Sonny didn't think it was that bad. She had only gained weight in her stomach. Everywhere else looked the same. Her face was still as beautiful as the first time he had laid eyes on it.

"Why can't you just tell me what it is?"

"Because this is more fun."

"For who?"

"I'm getting some enjoyment out of it."

"Really? You know, I'm surprised I'm not. Walking upstairs with your eyes closed, while pregnant, is just so much fun."

"Humor me, will you?"

"What if it's not as good as you say it is?" She smirked.

"Just trust me." They had finally reached the end of the hallway on Sonny's second floor. The second Claudia had walked into the house, he had ordered her to close her eyes so he could surprise her properly. He had then proceeded to lead her up the stairs, and, after a couple minutes of playful bickering, they had finally arrived.

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Claudia asked, only pretending to be annoyed. This little game was actually kind of fun. But what was even more fun was not admitting her true feelings. She liked the fake arguing that she and Sonny did. It was a lot better than real arguing, and made her laugh harder than she'd laughed in years.  
Sonny walked into the room at the end of the hall really quick, making sure everything was in order. When he had confirmed that it was, he responded, "Yes."

Claudia opened one eye, then, seeing what was in store for her, open the other one as fast as she could. "Oh, Sonny." He was right. This was a good surprise.

It was Luna's bedroom, and it was definitely brand new. Claudia could faintly smell the light pink paint on the walls. It had everything that Luna could possibly want or need. A beautiful white crib. A changing table, already stocked with diapers. A glider rocking chair. A pile of stuffed animals in the corner. A closed toy chest that Claudia was sure was already full to bursting. It had everything. Claudia couldn't find one thing wrong with it.

She had, of course, been working on a room at her house for Luna as well. It was part of the major redecorating she was doing. But she had had trouble deciding which of the many bedrooms would be her daughter's. Claudia still slept in the same room that she had since she was a baby herself, as did Johnny. The master bedroom and bathroom, where her father and mother, and, shortly thereafter, her father and Maria, had slept was being turned into a media room. Most of the bedrooms in the Zacchara mansion were full of bad karma from the various generations of her family who had spent their time in them, and there wasn't enough feng shui in the world to make that stuff go away. Claudia had finally found a room that wasn't packed with bad memories, but it was the smallest bedroom in the house. Fortunately, babies didn't take up much space, and Claudia decided that Luna would stay there until she was old enough to design her own room in the massive attic. Some people might view this as a punishment, but Claudia had been through enough in her own childhood to know how to teach her daughter to appreciate the value of creativity and personal space.

But the rooms she had set aside for Luna weren't on her mind right now. She was too busy being shocked by all the work Sonny had done. Sure, she had thought he'd get a room ready for his daughter. They had discussed splitting the parenting responsibilities equally. But never did Claudia think he'd create an entirely new room for a daughter he hadn't necessarily wanted until she began to exist. Why hadn't she expected that, though? Sonny was one of the most incredible guys she had ever met. He would do something like this. Not because he had to, or because he thought that Claudia would want him to. He did it because he wanted to. Claudia knew that. It was just the kind of person he was. It showed exactly how much he cared for his children. All of them.

"Do you like it?" Sonny asked nervously. He had worked so hard. He'd even had Kristina help him pick things out. He would be absolutely devastated if Claudia was disappointed.

"Sonny, I love it," she said, walking slowly into the room, her shoes thumping lightly on the wooden floor. "I can't believe you did all this."

"Of course," said Sonny. "I promised that I would treat this child like any of my others. I didn't get the chance to do this for Kristina. I'm glad I got to do it for Luna."

Claudia remained speechless, continuing to traipse around the room to look at everything, to make sure that what she was seeing was real. Finally, as she continued inspecting, she said, "I think she's gonna want to spend more time here. The room I got together for her looks like crap compared to this one."

Sonny laughed. "I'm sure it looks great." He gestured to the glider. "You wanna try it out?"

Claudia glanced at him as she walked over to it. "You know, I was thinking about buying one of these. Let's see if it'll be worth my money." She lowered herself carefully into the rocker, then started gliding back in forth. "I should've gotten one of these years ago. Forget the baby; this could help me fall asleep."

"So they do work," Sonny noted, walking over to her and taking a seat on the gliding ottoman that came with the chair.

Claudia laughed as she thought of something. "I wonder if we're going to become those parents that believe everything they read about childrearing and buy all the new technology the second it comes out."

"It's not like we don't have the means for it," Sonny pointed out.

"That's true," Claudia agreed, nodding. "But I don't want to be one of those crazy parents, you know? The ones that potty-train their kids before they can even walk, or always harp on them about their grades, or make them do too much extracurricular stuff. As I've gone through being pregnant, I've started to notice a lot how other people parent. When I went to the mall to start looking at baby stuff awhile back, I passed by this mom screaming at her daughter outside of Forever 21 about getting a B in a class. I mean, this woman was out of control. She had the teachers email her daughter's grades to her before report cards were sent out. And she was yelling at her daughter at the mall, in front of everybody. She was even threatening to return the stuff they had just bought. I do not want to turn into that woman."

"Who's to say you will?" Sonny questioned.

Claudia shrugged. "Parenting does weird things to people. I mean, obviously I want Luna to succeed, but I don't to push her, you know? I don't want to force her to do a certain sport, or play a certain instrument, or any of that. And I don't want her to feel like she has to get A's in all her classes all the time. I don't want her to live to impress me."

"This sounds like it's coming from something personal," Sonny noticed.

"I spent my entire childhood trying to impress my father," Claudia admitted. "All I wanted was for him to love me. And he did, for awhile. When I was little, I couldn't do anything wrong. Then he married Maria, and it seemed like I broke everything I touched. And I spent so much time trying to prove to him that I was worthy of being his daughter. I studied for hours so that I could get good grades on tests. I tried not to put one toe out of line. But nothing was good enough. I wasn't Johnny. I would never be able to help the family business, so what good was I? I was an attention-seeking slut that he was glad to get rid of."

Sonny thought he had missed something. Attention-seeking slut? Where was that coming from? And, now that he thought about it, why had Claudia been sent to live with her uncle? Sonny knew about Claudia's childhood, and he knew about her life in Milan. But it just occurred to him that he didn't know what had happened in between.

He was about to ask, but stopped. It had to be something extremely personal. Claudia had shared a lot about her life. A lot of what she had spoken of were things that other people would keep quiet about, had they happened to them. Perhaps there was a reason she was keeping this part of her history to herself. It must have been something bad, even more traumatic than losing her mother and watching her father go crazy. Sonny couldn't possibly imagine what it was, and a part of him was dying to know, but he refused to ask. He had a feeling that when Claudia was ready to share it, she would, and he wouldn't be the one to bring it up.

Claudia noticed Sonny's face morph into a slight mask of confusion, and instantly regretted her words. He still didn't know about Trevor, and she intended to keep it that way. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever tell him. She didn't have to. Trevor was out of her life for good. Why bring him back into everything? She just wanted to push that part of her past out of her memory and never dwell on it again.

Sonny, instead of acting on his confusion, tried to get back on track of the original subject. "Knowing what you went through when you were a kid, I don't think you'll turn into that kind of parent. I don't do that to my kids, either. I let them be who they want to be, as long as they stay out of trouble."

Claudia laughed. "Sonny, with us as parents, Luna's going to be getting into all kinds of trouble."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Sonny promised with a grin. Claudia grinned back. "I'll try my best to make sure she's on a good path. I actually wanted to ask you about that."

"About what?" Claudia wondered aloud, confused.

"I don't know about you," Sonny began to explain, "but I was raised Catholic. It would mean a lot to me if we could do the same for Luna."

A mobster with religion. Claudia would have found it funny if she didn't know Sonny so well. But he seemed exactly like the kind of guy who checked in with God every once in awhile. There was just something about him. "My parents raised me Catholic, too. I couldn't tell you the last time I stepped inside a church, though. I'm afraid I might get struck by lightning." She smiled at her own joke.

Sonny returned the smile as he asked, "Could we baptize Luna in the Catholic faith?"

Claudia hadn't really considered religion. Like she had said, she hadn't really had much to do with it since she was a kid and Maria had forced her to put on some ridiculous dress before hauling her and Johnny off to church on Sundays. She'd also left a nondenominational private school in the fifth grade and was put into Catholic school, per Maria's request. That had been a disaster. Claudia had loved her old school. She'd had friends there, and no one made fun of her. She may not have been a cute kid, but people there looked past that and learned to love her personality. Claudia hated the Catholic school. The kids there teased her for her unruly dark hair and pale, skinny legs. She always got picked last for teams in gym class because everyone knew she was bad at sports. She had so much trouble making friends because she had lost that vibrant personality that she had had as a younger child. After four years of this torment, Claudia had decided that enough was enough. She got it at home from her father. She didn't need it from the kids at school. The summer before ninth grade, she'd given herself a total makeover, and people suddenly wanted to be her friend, especially boys. That was all Claudia remembered about her Catholic upbringing. She couldn't even recall what the religion teacher's name was. But this whole thing seemed important to Sonny, and it wasn't God's fault that Maria's actions had made her life miserable.

"I'm fine with it," she answered, "but would the church be? I mean, with us not being married or anything?"

Sonny smiled. "I have my methods."

I bet you do, Claudia thought to herself. "Any suggestions for godparents?"

"Actually," said Sonny, "I was wondering if you would be okay with Carly being the godmother." Claudia rolled her eyes. "Just hear me out." She looked at him. "Carly has been a major part of my life. She's given me my sons, and she's helped me through a lot. And maybe Luna will help you two get over whatever issues there are that you have with each other. You'll have to be civil, for her sake."

He had a point. "Fine, but only if you let Johnny be the godfather."

"Done."

Well, that was easy. "Looks live we've got ourselves a—" Before she could finish her sentence, Claudia stopped. That had been the weirdest feeling in the world, like someone had punched her lightly in the stomach, but from the inside. And there it was again, harder than the first time.

Sonny saw Claudia's face pause mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open and her eyes unfocused. "Is everything okay?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

Claudia, remembering that he was still there, remained completely still, except for her eyes, which turned to him. "I think she's kicking."

A wave of relief and joy washed over Sonny, the combination of both emotions making him feel dizzy. "Is she really?"

Instead of answering, Claudia grabbed Sonny's hand and placed it over her stomach. A few seconds went by, and they both felt it.

"Oh, my God," said Sonny, not able to believe it.

"I know," said Claudia, a tear falling from her eye, her hand resting on Sonny's. Luna kicked again, the hardest yet. "I think we've got a little soccer player here," she laughed.

Sonny just continued staring at Claudia's stomach in amazement. All of a sudden, it seemed real. Sure, the picture on the ultrasound had been one thing. But he could actually feel his child as she moved around inside Claudia, stretching the little legs that were growing bigger by the day. That was his daughter in there. His Luna. Their Luna.

He looked up at Claudia. She was looking at him, too, and he could tell that she was thinking the same thing. This was their child kicking around in there. It was the child that they had created together. Yes, it had been an accident, but it certainly wasn't one that either of them regretted anymore. They had created life. It was the most beautiful thing in the world. They had a little girl in there who would one day grow up and have her own family. All because they had decided to be irresponsible adults. Yet maybe being irresponsible wasn't so bad, if the consequences were going to be something like this.

Neither of them were sure who leaned in first, or if they leaned in at the same time. All they knew was that their lips met for the first time in months, Claudia's hand on top of Sonny's as they both felt the life that was getting a chance to live because of them.


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen_

Neither of them knew how long they sat there kissing. It was probably just a few minutes, but to Claudia and Sonny, it felt like hours, days, weeks. Time just seemed to disappear around them as they both went after the one thing they had been dreaming of for months. And it probably would have lasted a lot longer had they not been interrupted.

Both of them must have really been in the moment to have not heard the intruder that was standing in the doorway of Luna's room. She hadn't exactly kept her three-inch heels quiet as she clacked up Sonny's steps and strutted down the hallway like it was a freaking runway. It wasn't until she gasped, muttered a quick, "Oh, God," and stumbled over herself in surprise that Claudia and Sonny were wrenched unpleasantly back into reality.

Sonny pulled quickly away from the kiss when he realized who it was, Claudia practically tonguing thin air as he left her hanging. His hand was still on her stomach, which was fluttering with baby kicks and butterflies, but it hadn't been the slow withdrawal she had been hoping for. They hadn't had that faraway look in their eyes that she had envisioned in her runaway daydreams. The moment had been stopped abruptly and rudely, not slowly and tenderly in order to give the feelings time to linger. Claudia turned to the door as well, to give this interrupter a piece of her mind.

"Kate," said Sonny, gulping. How had she gotten in? Why was she here now, of all times? They hadn't spoken in months, not since Sonny had found out about Claudia and the baby. He had made Alexis promise not to tell, but what if she had heard the information from another source? And even if she hadn't, it was pretty obvious what was going on from just one look at the scene in Luna's room.

It only took that one word from Sonny's mouth to tell Claudia everything. So this was Kate Howard, the girlfriend that Sonny had had before Claudia had entered the picture. The girlfriend that had done something so bad that Sonny had gone looking for anonymous sex to ease his pain. The girlfriend that Sonny hadn't mentioned at all to Claudia since they'd started preparing for the baby.

"Well, this wasn't quite what I expected," she said, her voice crisp and curt. Claudia didn't like the sound that came out of this woman's mouth. It was one decibel away from being bitchy and whiny, but one decibel was close enough.

Sonny took a second-long glance at Claudia, realized his hand was still on her stomach, pulled it off, then looked back at Kate. What did he say? Maybe it was better to deflect. "What are you doing here?"

"I know our last conversation didn't end well," said Kate, getting right to the point. "I knew you needed your space, and I needed to think. I've made myself very busy with the magazine. I've been traveling a lot these past few months, trying to put some physical distance between us so I could wrap my head around our situation. I've barely been home at all. But I'm done traveling for the time being, so I thought I'd come over and see how you were doing, see how we were doing." She gave Claudia a quick and icy glare. "But it seems there isn't a 'we' anymore."

Ew, bitch, shut up, thought Claudia to herself. You're the one who hurt Sonny in the first place, hurt him so bad that he came running to me. And now we're having a baby together. So get lost.

After these thoughts ran through her head, Claudia had to take a mental step back. Why was she feeling so territorial all of a sudden? She hadn't felt threatened by Alexis or even Carly. What was it about Kate that made Claudia cling to Sonny even closer?

But then she considered. Maybe Kate didn't have anything to do with it. Maybe it was what had just happened. That kiss between them, that moment that they had had while Luna kicked inside of her, that was what had changed things for Claudia. Before today, Claudia's feelings for Sonny had been like a high school girl with a giant crush. But now, it was more than that. It was something Claudia had never felt before, some kind of connection, a romantic connection. It was more than just liking Sonny inside and out. It was more than wanting Luna's father to be a part of her life. It was real.

Claudia's head was practically spinning, but she had to be right. She had never had a real relationship with anybody. That boy she had lost her virginity to in high school, what's-his-name…that had been a mere act of rebellion after one of Claudia's fights with Maria. She had called the guy, who she knew from math class, and he had snuck into her window in the middle of the night. A few hours later? Ta-da, Claudia was no longer a virgin. But nothing had happened after that. They hadn't even spoken to each other again. Then there had been Trevor, which, as usual, didn't count. And the few guys in Italy, which had been one-night stands that Claudia had never followed up on. In fact, now that she thought about it, she had never had sex with the same guy more than once.

But, she was getting off track. The point was, she had never had a real relationship with anybody. She'd never done the typical go on a few dates, make it official, use the L word, have sex, and go from there type of thing. Even her…whatever she had with Sonny…hadn't gotten off to a traditional start. But this was different. This was the first time ever where she'd wanted the relationship to go further than just one night. How far, she wasn't sure, but she did know that she didn't want Kate Howard involved.

"What's going on, Sonny?" Kate asked. Claudia tried not to scowl. Was she actually crying over something that had to have been her fault?

Before Sonny answered, he looked at Claudia again. As much as he wanted her to stay, so that her beautiful face could help him through this mess, he had to talk with Kate alone. There were some things between them that needed to be sorted out. Now.

"Could you give us a minute?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound apologetic.

As much as Claudia didn't want to go, she did. She understood privacy more than anyone. Without a word, she stood up, supporting the round ball on her stomach that was Luna as she walked by Kate and out into the hallway, where she stopped dead in her tracks about seven feet from the door. Claudia understood privacy, alright, but that didn't mean she didn't want to find out how exactly her and Sonny's paths had crossed.

"I'm not stupid, Sonny," said Kate once Claudia was out of the room. "This is exactly what it looks like. I just didn't expect you to move on so fast."

"It's not like that, Kate—" Sonny tried to explain, but she wouldn't let him finish.

"And you're not even married yet," she scoffed through her tears. "I mean, I don't see a ring on either of your fingers." Sonny didn't say anything as Kate began to walk around the room, just like Claudia had only minutes before. Except she wasn't looking at everything with awe and excitement. She was looking at everything with contempt and hatred. "So, you guys are having a girl." It wasn't a question. "Have you picked out a name yet?"

"Kate, let me—"

"Have you picked out a name yet?" she asked again, her voice sharp.

Fine, Sonny thought. He'd play along until she regained control of herself. "Luna."

He watched as Kate let the name run through her head. "Luna," she mused. "Not exactly my cup of tea." Out in the hallway, Claudia felt her hands clench into fists. "I would rather pick a name in my family. I think if I had a girl, I'd name her Olivia. You remember my cousin, Olivia?"

Oh yeah, Sonny remembered. But he wasn't going to say anything. The situation with Claudia was volatile enough without throwing old Bensonhurst memories into the mix.

"Well, her middle name is Dominica," said Sonny, trying to keep everything calm, "after Claudia's mother."

"Oh, so her name's Claudia," said Kate. Again, not a question. She started walking around the room again. "How did you two meet?"

Finally, thought Sonny. Now he could explain himself. "We met at a bar the night you rejected my marriage proposal."

Claudia's jaw dropped when she heard Sonny utter this sentence. He had asked Kate to marry him? And she had said no? So that was why he had ended up in bed with her. Regular girlfriend drama was one thing. But a rejected proposal was huge.

Kate's eyes turned into slits, as if she was offended by Sonny's implied accusation. "The very same night?"

"Yep," said Sonny, sliding his hands into his pockets. He had thought that explaining this to Kate would have been difficult, but it wasn't. In fact, the more he said, the easier it got. He didn't love her anymore. He had moved on. Why should he care what she thought?

Kate paused for a second before saying, in a sharp whisper, "How could you, Sonny? How could you do that to me?"

Forget keeping the cool. "How could you do that to me? You know what? No! We've had this conversation! I wanted to get married and you didn't! End of story! I was looking for something to ease the pain, and I ran into Claudia! We had sex, and now we're having a baby! I'm sorry I didn't sit around and wait for you while you traveled the world!"

"I never said I didn't want to get married!" Kate shouted back. "I said I just needed to think about it!"

"Needing to think about it is the same as saying no! If you had really wanted to marry me, you would have said yes, right then and there! But you didn't, and I've moved on! Sure, I didn't want this baby, and I didn't really plan on seeing Claudia again after that night, but that's what happened, and I need to own up to it!"

"Do you love her?" Kate asked, her voice becoming quiet again.

Claudia froze out in the hallway. Love. She hadn't even thought about that.

Love. Was that what this was? Was that the connection that she felt with Sonny, the one she'd never felt before? Was that the instant attraction that she had experienced that fateful night in the bar? Maybe the whole thunderbolt was some old Sicilian wives' tale after all. Maybe what Claudia had really been feeling when she'd first laid eyes on Sonny, when she'd done her research on him, when he had placed his hand on her stomach to feel his daughter kick, was love. As she thought the word to herself, it fit, like that missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle that one finds months later under the couch after they've already given up. Who knew that four simple letters could define a relationship? But they could, and they had. Love. That was it, it had to be. She knew it in her heart. But did Sonny?

Sonny was stunned by Kate's question. It was the first good one she had asked since she'd shown up. Did he love Claudia? Sonny had experienced love before, plenty of times. He loved Carly. He loved his children. He had loved Kate, at one point. So, if he did love Claudia, wouldn't he have recognized it instantly? Probably. But then again, probably not.

What if what he felt for Claudia was more than what he had ever felt for any woman? He considered it. His feelings for Claudia were different from the feelings he'd had for Carly and Kate. Because with Claudia, he'd known. He'd known the second he laid eyes on her that she was something different, something special, something not to waste. He hadn't realized it, but his heart had. It was why he couldn't stop thinking about her, even after he'd convinced himself that one-night stands were just that, one night of passion that would never be revisited. But he had never given up hope, and it was a good thing he hadn't, because Claudia had shown up again with his child. His daughter. His Luna. She consumed his every thought. He dreamed about her. Her memory, everything about her, was always with him. This was more than love. Or, what he had felt for other women hadn't been love, and what he was feeling for Claudia was.

"Sonny, please answer me," Kate continued desperately. "Do you love her? Do you love her like you loved me? Does she mean as much to you as all those nights we spent at Coney Island together as kids? Do you love her so much that you forgot about me and went on with this new life, with her and your baby? Please, Sonny, I need to know."

Claudia waited with bated breath for the answer. Sure, Sonny had just kissed her (or had she kissed him? Either way, he hadn't stopped until Her Highness had showed up), but that didn't mean anything. Or did it? Please, thought Claudia, please mean something.

"I don't love her like I loved you," said Sonny, and Claudia felt a quick pang in her chest, one that was healed instantly by Sonny's next words. "I love her more. She's not what I usually look for in a woman, but maybe that's because I wasn't searching for the right things. I just…when I look at her, and see that she's carrying my baby, my daughter…I feel like the happiest man in the world. I love Claudia Zacchara."

Claudia put a hand on the wall to support herself. Those last four words had made her want to faint. "I love Claudia Zacchara." It sounded so right, so perfect, because she loved Sonny Corinthos. It fit. It all fit. Sonny, Claudia, and Luna: the perfect family, the family that Claudia hadn't realized she'd wanted until it was forced upon her.

There was silence, and then Kate said, "Zacchara? Like Anthony Zacchara?"

"She's his daughter," Sonny answered simply.

This seemed to be way too much for Kate to handle. "Of all the people in the world to be 'the one' for you, you pick a piece of Zacchara trash?"

Claudia's elated attitude went immediately to pissed as she heard Kate disrespect her family's name. "Don't call me a piece of trash," she warned, stomping back into Luna's room. "You're the one that rejected Sonny's marriage proposal and didn't realize that it obviously upset him."

"Claudia, don't," said Sonny. He should have expected that she'd eavesdrop. Had she heard what he'd said about her? He wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing if she had.

"No, Sonny, this is ridiculous," said Claudia. She then turned back to Kate, hands on her hips. "You may have this big, fancy magazine and everything, but the world doesn't revolve around you. Sonny's moved on. I suggest you do the same."

"I just don't want Sonny getting killed by your father when he finds out about this," Kate snarled back.

"My father is paralyzed from the neck down," said Claudia. "He's not killing anything but time."

"I still don't have a good feeling about this."

"And I still don't think it's any of your business." Claudia smirked. "You had your chance with Sonny, and you blew it. That's not my fault."

This finally silenced Kate. She looked between Claudia and Sonny, then looked down at her feet, saying, "You've obviously made your decision, Sonny." She looked back up, more tears in her eyes. "I just hope you can live with it." And, finally, mercifully, she left, clacking all the way down the hall and down the stairs until her presence was just a memory.

Once the final sound of Kate's heels had vanished, Claudia turned around and gave Sonny a sly smirk. "Is that true, what you said about me?"

What was the point of lying? She had heard everything anyway. "Yes."

Claudia's smirk grew even wider. "Well, then I'm gonna let you in on a little secret." She took Sonny's hands from his pockets and placed them on her stomach as she stood on her tiptoes to plant a small kiss on Sonny's lips. "I love you, too."


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter Fifteen_

Now that Sonny and Claudia had their love for each other out in the open, everything became a lot easier. They could flirt without feeling imposing or awkward. They could kiss each other casually instead of just longing for some kind of physical contact. It was like the world had been lifted off of both their shoulders, and they could finally go after what they had both wanted for a long time. They were both in a place where they wanted to be, and it felt good.

Even though Claudia felt a lot more open around Sonny, she still didn't feel comfortable telling him about what had happened with Trevor when she was sixteen. In fact, she made a promise to herself that she wouldn't. Now that they could love each other freely, she didn't want something as disgusting as that to ruin what they had both been wanting for so long. After all, Trevor had, at one point, slept with Sonny's mother. If that wasn't gross, Claudia didn't know what was.

After making this vow, Claudia didn't think much about Trevor or their shared history. Her whole mind was focused solely on Luna. Now that Luna's rooms at both houses had been settled, Claudia was focused on buying her daughter clothes. It was the most difficult shopping she had ever done in her entire life. Claudia knew that it was traditional to dress newborn baby girls in pink, but that was the only color there was to choose from at every single baby store in Port Charles, and Claudia wasn't particularly fond of it. The poor girl's rooms were already as pink as you could get. Claudia didn't think that she or her baby could take much more of the color. She ended up buying a lot of white, green, and yellow, since apparently red and black were not suitable for baby clothes.

With so much focus on having the most fashionable baby in town, Trevor didn't even cross Claudia's mind until about a month before her due date.

To make things easier, especially when Luna was born, Sonny had made Claudia her own set of keys to his house, and Claudia had done the same for hers. It was nice not to have to wait for a guard to open the door for you when you were eight months pregnant and laden with heavy shopping bags. On one particularly pleasant late-September afternoon, Claudia was in this exact situation, struggling to get her key in the lock so that she could finally put her bags down. She burst through Sonny's entrance hall and traipsed into the living room, throwing her many bags down on an empty armchair. It wasn't until she had taken a deep breath and brushed her hair out of her face that she noticed that someone was waiting for her at the desk, and it wasn't Sonny.

"Who let you in?" she asked Trevor. She hadn't seen him in months, but he hadn't really changed. His hair was still greasy, his sly smile was still present on his face. In fact, it didn't look like he had really encountered a lot of bad luck since she'd fired him, and that worried her.

"One of Sonny's guards," said Trevor casually, as if Claudia had asked a legitimate question. "I'm here on business."

"Well, Sonny's out for the day," said Claudia, holding her stomach. "So why don't you get lost? No one here wants to do business with you."

"I wasn't expecting you to show up," said Trevor thoughtfully, completely ignoring what Claudia had just said. "But now that you're here, why don't we do some catching up while we wait for Sonny?"

"I'd rather reach down my own throat and pull out my voice box than talk about my day with you."

Trevor laughed. Claudia cringed. She hated how amused he always seemed by her hatred of him. Sometimes it gave her the feeling that he thought she was joking. But she wasn't. She didn't mess around when it came to Trevor. Not anymore.

"Well, you two certainly are expecting, aren't you?" said Trevor, standing up and moseying around the desk, picking things up that didn't belong to him. "You look like you're ready to pop any day now."

"Gee, thanks," said Claudia in mock appreciation.

"So, what's it gonna be?" Trevor chuckled. "Boy or girl?"

"I don't have to tell you that."

"Claudia, come on," he sighed, finally stepping away from the desk and walking slowly towards her. "I'm trying to be civil here. We might be in business together again very soon. Why don't you put the past behind you and move on? You were just a kid. Stop moping about it."

"Oh, you mean stop moping about the fact that you were a pervert?" Claudia shot back. "That you kicked my mother out of the house? That you treated me like dirt for a few years before you discovered how fun it was to feel me up?"

"Don't get yourself all worked up now, Claudia," Trevor warned in a soft voice. "It can't possibly be good for your baby."

"Don't tell me what to do." But it wasn't a command. It was a plea. Claudia could feel tears starting to form in her eyes. Damn it, why was she getting so emotional? She had gone through most of her pregnancy with very few mood swings. And she wasn't afraid of Trevor anymore. Disgusted by him? Yes. But definitely not frightened of him. So why was she feeling that way now? Why was his slow advancement towards her suddenly terrifying instead of just plain old creepy?

And then Claudia realized: it was Luna. It was her very first feeling of maternal protection, and it was happening before the baby was even born. But Claudia knew that that had to be it. She usually didn't want Trevor anywhere near her, but she certainly didn't want him within a ten-mile radius of Luna, whether she had been born or not. Claudia had no idea what her daughter would look like, or what kind of personality she'd have, but if anyone treated Luna the way Claudia had been treated by Trevor, Claudia would kill them, no questions asked.

"It's not my fault that you were a little slut, Claudia," said Trevor, coming even closer. Claudia was paralyzed with utter fear, something that had never happened to her before. She was always brave in the face of danger, but not this time. Not when all she could think about was Luna.

"I didn't ask for you to do what you did," insisted Claudia, her voice clogged with tears. "I wanted you to leave me alone."

"That's not how Anthony saw it," Trevor pointed out in a singsong voice.

"Daddy is a lunatic," said Claudia. "And so are you. I was sixteen. I was young and naïve. What the hell else was I supposed to do? Let you keep treating me like that?"

"Calm down, Claudia," Trevor ordered again. "I never intended to hurt you. How could I hurt someone so beautiful? Someone who looks even more beautiful with a child growing inside of her?" And then it happened. He gave her a look that Claudia hadn't seen since she was a teenager. But she knew it well enough. It was the look he had on his face when he'd tell her how quickly she was growing up, and what a beautiful young lady she was turning into. It was that look of want and desire for something that didn't belong to him, would never belong to him. The look only lasted a second, but to Claudia, it felt like a lifetime. A lifetime of abuse and torture.

After the quick flash of that dreaded look, Trevor came towards Claudia hard and fast, and, finally, Claudia was able to move from the spot that she had been rooted to. She backed up quickly, screaming, "Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me ever again!" Her arms quickly wrapped around her stomach as the tears that had been welling in her eyes began to flow out.

"Hey!" came a shout from the door. Claudia looked up to see Sonny, his body stiff and his face red. "What the hell is going on?"

"Ah, Sonny, I'm glad you're here," said Trevor calmly, as if the last five minutes hadn't happened. "I wanted to talk to you about—"

"Get out!" Claudia yelled, her lungs burning. "And don't come back unless you want a bullet in your black heart!"

Trevor just laughed. "Claudia, this meeting doesn't have anything to do with you, so if you'd kindly make yourself scarce—"

"Do not talk to her like that!" Sonny ordered in a booming voice. There was a moment of silence in the room before he continued, his voice much softer. "I don't know what you did to her, but if I ever catch you alone with her again, and she is this upset, I will kill you. And if anything happens to that baby because you made her upset, I'll make you wish I'd killed you."

Trevor smirked at Sonny for a good couple seconds before saying, "You really care about her and this baby, don't you? And I'd been thinking this whole time that you were just putting up with the situation. Guess I was wrong." He gave Claudia one final look before beginning to walk out the door, saying, "If either of you change your minds, and you realize that you do need me to help these organizations run, you know how to reach me." And then he was gone.

Once Sonny heard his front door close, he turned to look at Claudia, who looked more weak and vulnerable than he'd ever seen her. He had seen a few tears fall from her eyes occasionally, but he had never seen her sobbing. He'd never seen her face this pale with fear.

"What did he do you?" Sonny asked hurriedly, walking over to Claudia so that he could help her sit down on the couch. He sat down next to her as he continued his questioning. "Are you alright? Is the baby alright?"

Claudia began wiping her eyes. "I'm fine. He didn't hurt me," she assured, then added softly, "this time."

Sonny didn't feel strange about asking Claudia to clarify herself when she was cryptic, at least not anymore. With their love out in the open, he felt like he could ask more questions. Not for the sake of being nosy, but for the sake of being able to help.

"Claudia, he did something to you when you were a kid, didn't he?" he said, trying to read between the lines. "I mean, besides get your mother kicked out of the house and turning your dad into a nut job. There was something else, wasn't there?"

No, Claudia told herself. You promised you wouldn't tell him. He can't know. He won't love you anymore.

"Claudia," Sonny coaxed again. "You can tell me what happened. You can trust me."

"I know," said Claudia, sniffling. "But I don't know if you can trust me."

What was that supposed to mean? Hadn't he been trusting her with his child for eight months? If he could trust her with something as precious as that, he could trust her with anything. "Did whatever happened…did your father convince you that it was your fault?"

"It was my fault," Claudia insisted. "I woke up one morning with a half-assed idea to get Trevor out of the house for good, but I was the one that was forced to leave instead. If I had planned better, Trevor would have been six feet under years ago."

"What did you do?" Sonny asked, getting right to the point.

Claudia gulped. "I can't tell you," she practically whispered. "I've never told anybody, not even Johnny. The only people still alive who know are me, Trevor, Daddy, and my uncle. I've done a lot of things in my life to be ashamed of, but this was the biggest one."

"Your stepmother knew about it?" Sonny asked, noticing Claudia's use of the words "still alive."

Claudia snorted. "Are you kidding? She helped me pack my bags."

There was a few seconds of silence, before Sonny asked again, "But what happened? What did you do that was so bad?"

Claudia felt like her insides were tearing in half over her predicament. Deep in her heart, she knew she couldn't tell Sonny. He would hate her. He wouldn't love her anymore. He'd see her as the same slut that he had met in the bar that night. But as she looked into his brown eyes, his beautiful brown eyes, she saw his willingness to help her through this terrible ordeal. She'd never gotten any real therapy for this. Maybe talking to Sonny, the man she loved, the man whose child she was carrying…maybe that would help.

"Remember when I said that Trevor treated me like dirt for most of my childhood?" she asked, trying her hardest not to let her tears take over her story.

Sonny nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well, 'most' is the key word there," Claudia said with a dry chuckle. "I mean, I was really no good to him as a little kid. I just made obnoxious noises and said stupid things. And I was an ugly kid, too. Tall and skinny, my skin never looked like it saw the sun—anyway," she said, realizing that she was getting off track. "Trevor saw me that way for awhile. Then, I started growing up." The painful flashbacks were starting to attack her brain as Claudia withdrew her memories from their vault. But she had to finish. She couldn't leave Sonny hanging like this after she'd already started telling him. "At first, it was just comments, you know? 'Oh, Claudia, you're becoming so beautiful.' 'Oh, my goodness, you're just growing up so fast.' It was weird, but not unbearable. Then he started finding reasons to, um…to touch me."

Sonny saw where this was going. A lot of things were starting to come together. "Oh, god, Claudia—"

"Oh, believe me, it gets worse," she interrupted with a mocking smile. "I knew exactly what he wanted from me, but he'd never pull anything with Daddy around. He couldn't afford to get himself fired. No one besides Daddy would ever give him a job, because Daddy was—actually is—totally and completely insane. And that's when it hit me." She paused to take a deep breath.

"When what hit you?" asked Sonny.

"My 'genius' idea," said Claudia, using airquotes around the word that definitely didn't belong. "I woke up one morning and thought to myself, 'You know what, I'm going to have sex with Trevor today so that Daddy will fire him.'"

Okay, that had been a total plot twist. Sonny was waiting for Claudia to say that Trevor had raped her. He definitely hadn't been expecting for her to say that she'd voluntarily given herself up to him. "You willingly had sex with Trevor Lansing?"

"Well, I don't know how 'willingly' it was," mused Claudia. "I didn't have another choice. He had turned my father into a monster. He made me afraid to get out of bed in the morning. I couldn't let him have the upper hand. I knew he would have made a real attempt at me eventually, and I had to beat him to it. It had to be on my terms, so that Daddy could finally catch him."

"But it didn't work," said Sonny, remembering what Claudia had said earlier.

Claudia laughed darkly. "Of course not. I mean, sure, I planned it out so that my father would walk in at exactly the right moment. But why would I ever expect that Daddy would believe me over his skeaze lawyer? I mean, I was just his daughter, right? No credibility in what I had to say." Her sarcastic manner dropped instantly as the tears she had been holding back finally made their way to the surface. "He kicked me out that night. He sent me across the goddamn ocean, that's how much of a slut he thought I was. And Trevor just got a free pass, a free pass for molesting a little girl that he had already tortured enough."

Sonny moved closer to Claudia, wrapping his arm around her as she leaned her head on his shoulder, crying softly. "I hate him, Sonny. I could have had the best childhood in the world if he hadn't screwed it all up. He destroyed my mother's life, my father's life, and my life. He is the worst person that has ever walked this planet."

"I wish I had known," said Sonny, rubbing Claudia's back. "I wish you had told me sooner."

"But you see how I couldn't?" Claudia inquired, picking up her head and looking him directly in the eye. "I am so ashamed of what he put me through, Sonny. It's mortifying to be treated like that. It's just so…violating."

"But it's not your fault," Sonny insisted. "You didn't ask for him to do that to you. Don't blame yourself."

"Daddy said it was my fault," Claudia countered. "What was it he said, right before I left? 'If you put your stuff on display in front of a man, he's gonna want to have a taste.'" Claudia felt like she was vomiting the words out instead of saying them.

They disgusted Sonny as well. "But you didn't, did you?"

"Of course not," said Claudia, wiping her eyes. "Well, not for him. I tried to get the attention of boys at school, you know, roll up my skirt and whatnot." Sonny smiled a little. "But I definitely didn't walk in and out of that door everyday as a parade for Trevor."

"It shouldn't have happened," Sonny insisted. "And I'm so sorry that it did. I wish there was something I could do—"

"There is," Claudia answered quickly. "I don't want him anywhere around here. He's already messed with me. I do not want him anywhere near Luna, whether she's been born or not."

Sonny nodded. "I promise that he will never hurt you or my daughter. Not if I have anything to say about it."


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter Sixteen_

"Surprise!" Morgan shouted, practically knocking Claudia over as he gave her a humongous hug. It took Claudia a couple of minutes to realize what was going on. When Morgan finally let her go and she could enter Sonny's living room, she figured it out.

It looked as though a party store had exploded inside the room. There were streamers and balloons everywhere: hanging from the curtains, tied around the banister, littered on the floor. On the coffee table was a small pile of presents, most of them wrapped in pink paper and frilly bows. On Sonny's desk sat a large chocolate cake with red icing that sloppily spelled, "Happy birthday, Claudia!"

"You remembered," she said, laughing a little as she looked over at Sonny, who was sitting on the couch with Kristina and Michael.

Sonny stood up and came over to give Claudia a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug. The hug was difficult; Claudia was very close to being nine months pregnant. But Sonny managed, then pulled away and smiled brightly at her. "Happy birthday."

Claudia smiled back, placed her purse on the desk next to the cake, then turned to the children, who were now all standing behind their father, Morgan bouncing excitedly. "So, whose idea was this?" she asked, looking at them all with mockingly narrowed eyes. They landed on Morgan. "Was it you?"

Morgan nodded enthusiastically. "Dad mentioned something about your birthday, so I thought we should have a party with presents and everything. Even though," he glanced guiltily back at the presents, lowering his voice a tad, "most of them are for Luna."

"That's okay," said Claudia cheerfully, trying to ease his guilt. "That's what big brothers are supposed to do: buy presents for their little sisters."

"We got things for you, too, though!" said Morgan, going back to his excited manner. "Well, Dad bought them, but we helped pick them out!"

"And Kristina baked the cake," said Michael, nodding his head towards the cake on his desk, his hands in his pockets.

"I hope you like chocolate," said Kristina.

Claudia nodded. "Are you kidding? What girl doesn't like chocolate? I mean, I've been trying to avoid it with the baby, but she's so close to coming out that I don't think a piece would hurt." Kristina beamed. "That was very sweet of you."

"Can you open your presents now?" asked Morgan, grabbing Claudia's hand and practically dragging her towards the couch.

"Slow down, Morgan," chuckled Sonny, intervening before his son got too over-excited. He squeezed his way in between Morgan and Claudia. "We don't need to rush Claudia around." He turned to her, asking, "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Water would be great," she said, trying to suppress an amused smile. Sonny walked over to his drink stand, grabbed a bottle of water, and ambled back over, handing it to her.

"Have you seen Johnny today?" he asked as they sat down. Morgan sat on the arm of the couch next to Claudia, while Kristina sat next to Sonny and Michael sat in one of the armchairs.

Claudia unscrewed the cap from the bottle, took a long sip, then said, "He took me out to breakfast this morning. That was his birthday present to me. I mean, it was definitely enough; from the amount of food I ate, I probably won't be getting another birthday present for about five years."

"What did you have?" asked Morgan loudly, even though Claudia was right next to him.

Claudia turned to him and smiled, saying, "Everything and anything you could possibly eat for breakfast."

"Lucky Charms?" pressed Morgan.

Claudia laughed. "Not Lucky Charms. That would have been a waste. I pick out all the cereal and just eat the marshmallows."

"Morgan does that," said Michael tauntingly.

Morgan suddenly got very red in the face. "I do not!"

"Do, too," chimed in Kristina.

"Well…" Morgan faltered, trying to think of a comeback. Finally, it hit him. "Well, Michael won't eat his bagel if it's over-toasted."

"That's because it tastes gross," countered Michael, rolling his eyes.

"But you throw it away and waste a whole bagel!" cried Morgan, as if it was a crime that deserved the highest form of punishment.

"And you're not wasting cereal when you just eat the marshmallows in your Lucky Charms?" questioned Michael.

"At least Mom eats the cereal part," retorted Morgan.

"Why are you guys arguing about wasting food?" Kristina asked, shrugging her shoulders.

"Because boys are silly," Claudia answered.

"My teacher says I'm silly," interjected Morgan. "She's always like, 'Morgan Corinthos, you're always acting so silly and distracting everybody, blah, blah, blah—'"

"Don't talk about your teacher like that," Sonny reprimanded softly.

"I don't know, Sonny," said Claudia, shaking her head. "Teachers can be pretty annoying."

"I like my teachers," said Kristina.

Michael snorted. "You always like your teachers, because you actually like school."

"Are you gonna open your presents or not?" Morgan asked Claudia out of the blue.

Before Claudia could answer, Kristina said, "No, it's cake before presents. It's always cake before presents."

"Fine," said Morgan, jumping off the arm of the couch and going over to stand next to the cake. "Come on, Claudia, you get to pick the first piece."

Claudia stood up, screwing the cap back onto her water bottle. She was about to start walking towards Morgan and the delicious-looking cake when the weirdest sensation came over her. It wasn't anything that she had ever felt before, but she knew exactly what it was.

Sonny saw her pause, and immediately became worried. "What is it?"

Claudia slowly turned around to face him, not sure whether she should be happy or scared. "I think my water just broke."

"No, it didn't," said Morgan, gesturing to the bottle in Claudia's hand. "It's still okay."

"No, you idiot," said Michael, standing up. "The baby's coming."


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter Seventeen_

"Sonny, can you please drive faster?" Claudia begged from the backseat. She had heard about the pains of childbirth, but this was freaking ridiculous. Every contraction overtook her entire body for what felt like hours of pain. She just wanted to get to the hospital as quickly as was humanly possible, so that the doctors could fill her up with drugs and make her a lot less unpleasant.

"And get pulled over?" Sonny retorted from the driver's seat. In all honesty, every muscle in his body was telling him to step on it and drive like a madman in order to get to the hospital. But he couldn't. He would only get pulled over, which would take a lot longer than just driving the speed limit. Also, he was driving a car containing four (almost five) people that he loved. He didn't want to risk an accident.

In the backseat, on either side of Claudia, were Kristina and Morgan. Michael was sitting up front next to Sonny. It was like a road trip, except definitely not the fun kind. With every contraction, Claudia would scream, Michael would moan, Kristina would look like she was about to be sick, Morgan would start asking questions, and Sonny would resist the urge to gun it to the hospital. Not one person in the car was enjoying themselves.

"Hey, Dad?" asked Morgan. "Where do babies even come from?"

Great, thought Sonny. This was exactly what he needed right now, for Morgan to ask questions about how life was created. But before Sonny could tell his younger son that now wasn't the best time, Michael snorted and said, "Don't be stupid. Everybody knows where babies come from."

"I don't!" Morgan shot back defensively.

"Well, you see, what happens is—" But before he could finish his explanation, Sonny cut him off.

"Not now, Michael."

"What? Morgan asked."

Sonny rolled his eyes. "I know he asked, but that doesn't mean you have to answer him. Your mother and I will decide when the time is right to tell him."

"Why is it such a big deal?" asked Morgan, melodramatically exasperated. "It's just a baby. And why do we have to go to the hospital? The baby can't come at home?"

"The doctors have to deliver it," Michael explained.

Morgan looked even more puzzled. "Deliver it? Like, by FedEx?"

"That's not—"

"Why can't the FedEx truck just come to the house? And I thought the baby was in Claudia's stomach. Why does someone have to deliver it? I'm so confused!"

"There's no FedEx truck, you idiot!" yelled Michael, turning around in his seat. "What happens is, Claudia pushes the baby out through—"

"My bellybutton," finished Claudia, thinking on the spot. She was not about to sit here while Michael gave his younger brother a biology lesson and used her as the example.

This answer seemed good enough for Morgan as a light of understanding shined on his face. "Oh, I get it." Then he paused. "But, if boys have bellybuttons, why can't they have babies?"

"It's just not what nature intended," Claudia answered.

"And what if you have an outie bellybutton? Can you still have babies?"

Everyone was saved from having to make up another absurd answer as Claudia was hit hard by another contraction. She doubled over in her seat, holding her stomach and practically crying from the pain. They were only getting worse. The hospital couldn't be much farther, could it?

Kristina gulped as she turned towards her father and said, "Dad, I don't want to have kids."

"Good. Tell me that again when you get your first boyfriend," Sonny answered as he made a left-hand turn. They were almost there. Just a few more minutes. He looked in the rearview mirror at Claudia. "How you holding up back there?"

"Oh, splendidly," she said through gritted teeth as the contraction began to subside.

"Do you want me to call Johnny, let him to know to meet us at the hospital?" Sonny asked.

"While you're driving? I don't think so," said Claudia.

"I'll call him!" Morgan volunteered excitedly.

Claudia pulled her phone out of her pocket and handed it to Morgan. "He's on speed dial two," she instructed.

Morgan pressed two, then the call button, then held the phone up to his ear, waiting a few seconds while it rang. Finally, Claudia heard him say into the phone, "Hi, Johnny! It's Morgan Corinthos! Claudia wanted me to call you. The baby's about to come out of her bellybutton."

"Okay, give me that," said Claudia, snatching the phone away from Morgan and holding it up to her own ear. "Hi, John."

"Through your bellybutton?" he laughed, sounding a little out-of-breath, as if he was making preparations to leave that instant. "Are you doing a c-section or something?"

"No, I'm not getting a c-section," Claudia answered.

"What's a c-section?" Morgan whispered to Michael.

"It's when they have to cut open your stomach and take the baby out that way."

"Why would they have to do that?"

"It's for people who have an outie bellybutton," Michael answered, trying to restrain a laugh.

"Well, I'm on my way now," said Johnny as Morgan and Michael's conversation continued. "Tell Luna to wait for me. I want to be there when my niece arrives."

Claudia grimaced. "I'll be sure to let her know."

Johnny laughed, as if he could see Claudia's sarcastic expression through the phone. "You'll do great. Just breathe."

"I'm trying," said Claudia with a great sigh.

"Love you."

"Love you, too." As she hung up, Claudia looked out of the window to see the car go by the sign for General Hospital. "Oh, thank God."

Sonny pulled into a spot right in front of the emergency section of the hospital, turned off the car, then got out, preparing to help Claudia. Michael, Morgan, and Kristina scrambled out as well, watching as their father reached into the backseat and grabbed Claudia's shaky hands.

"You can do this," he said with an encouraging smile.

Claudia smiled back. "Once I get that giant needle, I could probably do just about anything."

Sonny laughed, then, slowly and gently, half-pulled, half-carried Claudia out of the car and onto the pavement, where she carefully walked into the hospital, the children following behind.

The second they entered, Sonny saw Epiphany working at the front desk, and immediately ran over, leaving Claudia with his kids. "Hey, Epiphany, can you page Dr. Lee? Claudia's having her baby."

Epiphany peered around Sonny to see Claudia standing with Michael, Kristina, and Morgan. Morgan was bouncing around and pointing at things and people in the emergency room. "Interesting welcoming crew you've got with you, Mr. Corinthos. You really wanted to make this a family experience, I take it?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," said Sonny as Epiphany walked over to the phone in order to call Kelly. The only reason he had brought his children with him was because Carly and Alexis would have taken awhile to drive all the way to his house, and Claudia had wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

While Epiphany spoke to Kelly, Sonny walked back over to Claudia, who was looking very nervous. "What's wrong?" he asked. How much could have changed while he was gone for five seconds?

Claudia snorted. "Oh, nothing, except for the fact that I'm about to push a human being out of my—bellybutton," she said hastily, glancing at Morgan, who was too busy asking random doctors questions as they passed to be listening to their conversation.

"You'll be fine," said Sonny, rubbing her shoulders lovingly. "Women do this every day. It's not exactly a rare medical occurrence."

"But, Sonny, I've never done this before," said Claudia, her voice slowly getting louder with worry. "What if I mess up?"

"What's to mess up?" he asked. "All you have to do is push. The doctors will take care of the rest." Claudia still didn't look convinced. "Look, women have been doing this for thousands of years. At one point, they didn't even have doctors. They just kind of did it on their own."

"Yeah, and half those women probably died, Sonny!" Claudia shot back.

"You're not going to die," Sonny assured her, shocked that she could even be thinking that right now. It certainly hadn't crossed his mind.

"That's easy for you to say! You're not the one with a seven-pound thing ready to come out of you!"

Sonny still wasn't sure where all this emotion was coming from, but then he remembered. "Look, the baby's about to come, so your hormones are acting up and making you a little testy. Just try to relax—"

"I will relax when I see Dr. Lee stick that needle into me!"

No sooner had she said it when Dr. Lee appeared around the corner, accompanied by a nurse rolling a wheelchair. "We'll take you back, now Claudia. Sonny, of course you're more than welcome to come. Is there anyone else you want back there with you?"

"Well, my brother, but…" Claudia glanced nervously at the hospital entrance.

"He'll be here soon," Sonny said, guiding her to the wheelchair and sitting her down. "I'll be right there." And she was wheeled off, while Sonny turned to talk to his children.

"Can we come?" Morgan asked, before Sonny could even open his mouth.

"No," his father answered swiftly.

Morgan jutted out his lower lip. "Why not?"

"Believe me," said Michael. "That is not something you want to see."

"Just wait here," Sonny ordered. "If Claudia's brother comes, tell him we're in the maternity ward. But promise me you won't move." He turned to Michael. "You're in charge."

"Why does Michael get to be in charge?" Morgan whined.

"Because I'm the oldest," said Michael boastfully.

"I'll come back and check on you," Sonny said. "Just behave." He looked them all in the eye, to let them know he meant business, and was about to leave when Michael said, "Hey, Dad."

Sonny turned around. "Yeah?"

Michael smiled. "Tell Claudia I said good luck."

His father returned the grin. "I will." And he set off.

Sonny couldn't remember exactly where the maternity ward was, so he just followed the many signs that were posted on the walls of the hospital until, about five minutes later, he found it. He knew exactly where he was by the sounds that were being made. Babies crying, mothers (and fathers) screaming…it wasn't exactly a guessing game. He peered quickly into each room until he saw that familiar head of beautiful dark hair.

When he entered Claudia's room, she was just getting into the stirrups, her regular clothes replaced by a hospital gown. Once she was finally situated, she saw him, and her face lit up immediately. Dr. Lee was sitting down in front of her, checking the progress, while a few nurses bustled about the room, making preparations for Luna's arrival.

"So, Doc, when do I get the drugs?" Claudia asked impatiently.

Dr. Lee looked up. "You don't."

Claudia's face fell. "What?"

"You're fully dilated," explained Dr. Lee. "Giving you the drugs now would be dangerous. It's about time for you to start pushing."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" asked Claudia, her voice rising. Sonny went to stand by her, grasping her hand. "I went into labor, like, an hour ago. Doesn't it usually take longer than this?"

"Every pregnancy is different," said Dr. Lee, which was her usual response every time Claudia asked a question. "Some women can be in labor for days. Sometimes we even have to induce it. Other times, the baby practically walks out. You're just having a quick labor. Be thankful for it."

Claudia looked up at Sonny. "I am really not ready for this."

He squeezed her hand tightly. "It's the most natural thing in the world. Your body knows what to do."

"But it's gonna hurt like hell!" she insisted. She turned back to Dr. Lee. "Are you absolutely positive you can't give me drugs?"

"In the interest of your safety, and your daughter's, no, I cannot give you any drugs." She saw the absolutely horrified look on Claudia's face. "Don't worry. Many women choose to give birth naturally."

"I am not one of them!" Claudia shouted.

"You won't even remember the pain after the baby is born," Dr. Lee assured.

"I won't?"

Dr. Lee shook her head. "The female body erases it's memory of any pain sustained during childbirth so that women will still be willing to reproduce more frequently. If that wasn't part of our makeup, everybody would only have one pregnancy."

"I'm sitting here, scared to death of having my first child, and you're talking to me about my second one?"

"Claudia, yelling at Dr. Lee won't do anything to help anybody," said Sonny in her ear. She turned sharply towards him, daggers in her eyes, yet still squeezing his hand. Sonny had never seen that look on her face before, and he didn't like it. He turned to Dr. Lee. "Can we get this baby out of her, please?"

"Alright, Claudia, all you have to do is push," said Dr. Lee, preparing herself. The other nurses stood at the ready.

Claudia looked one more time at Sonny, saw his encouraging smile, felt his squeezing hand. She could do this, as long as he was by her side. The pain didn't matter. Today, she was going to meet her daughter. She took one huge breath, and, with all her might, pushed.

It was long and hard work, the most draining experience Claudia had ever had. She would push and push until she couldn't breathe, then sit back for a moment, collect herself, and do it again. With every second that went past, she squeezed Sonny's hand even tighter until she was sure that his fingers were going to fall off. Finally, she heard Dr. Lee say, "Alright, I see a head."

"You're doing great," said Sonny. He didn't mind how hard Claudia was grasping his hand. How could he? She needed him, and he would be there. In fact, he barely felt it. All he could think about was Luna coming out, safe and happy.

Claudia continued pushing, and she didn't know if it was just her, or if it was becoming more difficult. After another few minutes, Dr. Lee reported, "We have a shoulder. One more really big push."

Claudia sat back for a second, took a few breaths, inhaled, and pushed with every muscle in her body. All of a sudden, everything seemed a lot easier, like she had gotten over the hill, and the rest of the labor would be on a flat surface.

"Okay, both shoulders are out," Dr. Lee informed them. "You're doing great. She's almost here."

Claudia pushed continued pushing, her grip on Sonny's hand tightening even more, until she could barely feel her own fingers. And then, she heard it. It was the most beautiful sound in the entire world. It was Luna's strong and powerful cry as fresh air was forced down her lungs for the first time. Claudia watched, sobbing with joy, as Dr. Lee carried her over to another part of the room and began doing whatever it was that needed to be done, while Claudia looked up at Sonny, who also looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"You did it," he said, looking down at her. "I knew you could."

"We did it," Claudia corrected him. "None of this would have been possible without you."

"Hey!" said a voice from the door. Claudia looked up to see Johnny, panting and sweating, standing in the threshold. He took one look at Claudia and realization came over his face. "I missed it, didn't I?"

Claudia smiled through her tears. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're here."

Johnny walked completely into the room and gave Claudia a kiss on the cheek. "How are you doing? Everything okay?"

"I am more exhausted than I've ever been in my entire life, but I'm doing just fine," said Claudia, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Are you ready to meet your daughter?" asked Dr. Lee, walking over with a bundle of pink blankets.

Claudia stretched out her arms eagerly and looked down at the little face peeking out from the blankets, starting to cry even harder. Looking back up at her was the most perfect face in the entire world. She had Claudia's eyes and lips, Sonny's nose, and, it looked like, his dimples as well. Her hair was sparse and dark, and she gave a gigantic yawn, revealing a toothless mouth.

"She weighed in at six and a half pounds, and is twenty inches tall," reported Dr. Lee. "Congratulations. She's perfectly healthy."

Claudia smiled as broad as she could, not able to take her eyes off of Luna. "She's so beautiful." Finally, she tore her eyes away from her daughter to look up at Sonny. "Look what we did."

"She's perfect," he agreed, leaning over Claudia's shoulder. He extended his pointer finger towards his daughter, resting it on her chest. Her little hand wrapped itself around her father's finger, and squeezed tight, just as her mother had done only moments ago.

"Congratulations, Sonny," said Johnny, shaking his free hand. Sonny smiled at him. This was the most cordial that the two of them had ever been. Perhaps this baby represented new beginnings. Sonny was willing to look past the old days of animosity. Johnny was his daughter's uncle, after all.

"Have you picked out a name for her?" asked Dr. Lee, paperwork at the ready.

"Luna Dominica Corinthos," said Claudia without hesitation. She looked quickly up at Sonny. "That still works, right? I think she looks like a Luna. I couldn't imagine calling her anything else at this point."

Sonny nodded. "It fits her perfectly."

Claudia looked back down at Luna. "It does, doesn't it?"

"It does," Sonny agreed, smiling. "Happy birthday, Claudia."


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter Eighteen_

Claudia had never been more thankful to see her brother in her life. She hated hospitals. They were boring. There was absolutely nothing to do. She couldn't wait until the next day when she and Luna could finally go home. The nondescript walls and bland food were driving her nuts.

"Hey!" she said, when he came in, carrying a disposable cup of coffee.

"What's up?" he asked, giving her a quick peck on the cheek and then pulling over a chair to sit on. "Where's Luna?"

"In the nursery," Claudia answered.

Johnny looked at her skeptically. "I thought you'd be watching her like a hawk. You actually let her out of your sight?"

"I need to get her socialized," Claudia argued.

He gave her the same look as before. "Claudia, she's, like, a day old."

Claudia smirked. "It's never too early. I don't want her to be socially awkward. She's gonna be the life of the party, that one."

Johnny laughed, then asked, "So how're you holding up?"

Claudia sighed blissfully. "I can't remember when I've ever been happier." Johnny smiled. "It's true. She's just so beautiful, Johnny. And to think that she grew inside of me for nine months…it's unbelievable. She's perfect in every way possible. I haven't been able to stop smiling." She giggled. "I mean, I think I've been smiling in my sleep. Nothing could ruin this for me. For the first time in my life, I know what true happiness is."

"Well, I'm happy for you," said Johnny, looking down at his hands briefly before meeting his sister's eyes, which had a light in them that he'd never seen before. "You've been through a lot, Claudia, more than anyone should ever have to go through. I mean, I wouldn't wish the life you've had on my worst enemy. But I'm glad that things are finally turning around for you. You deserve every second of happiness that Luna gives you."

Claudia could feel a tear forming in her left eye. Johnny was the sweetest and most loyal brother ever. He did speak the truth, though. Claudia had been to hell and back plenty of times in her life, more times than even Johnny knew about. But Luna's birth had changed all of that, had kind of pushed it to the side, like it didn't matter. The way Claudia saw it, her life was starting now. The last thirty or so years meant nothing now that Luna was in the picture.

"You know what's weird?" she asked her brother. "I thought that all of this was a bad thing, that it could only bring negative consequences. And, sure, was I acting like a responsible adult the night I met Sonny? No, I wasn't. But I don't regret it anymore. That one night of stupidity led to the best thing that's ever happened to me." She stopped for a moment to sniffle, trying not to let her tears fall. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore. That was part of this whole new life that she was starting. She was going to ignore the bad and only focus on the good. "Everything really does happen for a reason. I used to hate when people said that. What reason was there for me to lose my mother when I was seven years old? What reason was there for Daddy to treat me the way that he did? What reason was there for Trevor—" She stopped herself before she went any further. Johnny didn't know about Trevor, and he never would. Telling Sonny about it had been one thing. Telling Johnny was something completely different. He was her brother. How would he feel about his older sister if he found out what she had done, and what Trevor had done to her? It would change their entire relationship, and Claudia was not about to let that happen. She loved Johnny too much to become distanced from him, even if it meant keeping a secret.

Johnny obviously noticed her slipup, because he asked, "What about Trevor?" Claudia didn't say anything; she just began playing with a corner of her blanket. "Claudia, is there something I should know?"

Finally, Claudia looked up. She couldn't lie to her brother. She valued his trust too much. But she most certainly couldn't tell the truth. He would definitely feel betrayed. "Something happened with me and Trevor awhile back. It's not important now," she added quickly as Johnny opened his mouth to question his sister further. "The point is, it made my life even worse than it already was. And throughout all these experiences, I never believed that there was a reason for anything. I didn't see any reason for life to treat me so cruelly. But now I believe that there is some bigger picture out there. It took me a long time and a few mistakes to figure that out, but I did, and I wouldn't trade my life with anyone else's."

"It's beautiful to hear you say that," said Johnny. "You've really grown throughout this whole process, haven't you? I mean, nine months ago, I never would have guessed that you'd be saying these things to me. I always thought you'd be cynical, with or without a baby. I'm glad that's changed, and I'm glad you're a lot happier."

"Thank you," said Claudia, truly meaning it. "And now, I have a really huge favor to ask you."

"Anything," he answered without hesitation.

Claudia didn't hesitate with her request either. "Sonny and I have decided to raise Luna Catholic, and it would mean a lot to me if you would be her godfather."

An honored smile came over Johnny's face as he took in Claudia's offer. "Nothing would make me happier."

Claudia grinned along with her brother, but their moment of peace was interrupted suddenly by the thudding of small footsteps. Claudia looked up at the door to see Morgan running into her room, closely followed (at a much slower pace) by Michael and Kristina.

"Hi, Claudia!" said Morgan excitedly, jumping up onto the bed next to her. "Where's Luna? We wanted to meet her!"

"Morgan, get down," said Michael, pulling his brother off of the bed. "Claudia just had a baby."

"Does it hurt?" Kristina asked nervously.

Claudia smiled kindly at her. "It's a happy kind of pain," she answered. She couldn't possibly tell Kristina that it was one of the longest and most physically draining moments of her life. At least, from what she remembered of it. Dr. Lee had been right; Claudia remembered that a lot of things were hurting as she gave birth to Luna, but she couldn't remember the pain specifically. "And afterwards, you don't even remember it."

"So, where is she?" Morgan asked again, obviously restraining himself from clambering back onto the bed.

"She's in the nursery with all the other babies," said Claudia. "I'm trying to be a cool mom, you know? Let her hang out with her friends sometimes instead of just always chilling with me."

"When will she be back?" Morgan asked.

Claudia looked at the clock on the table next to her. Luna had been asleep in the nursery for about an hour now, but Claudia didn't know exactly how long it would be before her daughter became hungry again. She hadn't quite figured out the whole feeding schedule yet. "Maybe another hour or so. The nurse will bring her back when it's time to feed her."

"Can we wait here with you?" asked Morgan. "I don't feel like going home yet, and I don't think Mom would be happy if we made her drive us all here and then she had to take us home right away."

"It's fine with me," said Claudia, grinning. She glanced at her brother. "You okay with this?"

"Actually, I need to get going," said Johnny, standing up. "Business, you know."

Claudia immediately became worried. "Is everything okay?" she mouthed as Morgan climbed back next to her and grabbed the television remote from the bedside table, while Michael took Johnny's vacated seat and Kristina sat at the foot of the bed.

Johnny nodded. "Everything's fine," he said softly. "Don't worry about it." His eyes swept over the three children, who were arguing over which channel to watch, and he tried not to laugh. "You seem to have your hands full."

Claudia watched as Morgan and Kristina defended their positions in a _Spongebob _versus _Hannah Montana _debate, also trying to restrain giggles. "Alright, I'll see you soon. I love you."

"Love you, too. Tell Luna that her favorite uncle said hi." With that, he left, and Claudia turned to help Michael settle the fight between his brother and sister.

**11/4/09**

Sonny had no idea how long he'd stood here. He had been on his way to visit Claudia when a very beautiful someone had caught his eye.

Standing at the nursery window, there was no denying which baby was Luna. Sonny would have been able to pick her out of a crowd of a thousand babies, because she was the most perfect of them all. Her beautiful dark hair and eyes, her little hands and feet, the way she stretched when she yawned…Sonny couldn't take his eyes off of her. And the best part? She was his.

"She's beautiful, Sonny," said a familiar voice. Sonny finally tore his eyes from his daughter and turned around to see Carly.

"How'd you know which one was her?" he asked, a small grin creeping onto his face.

Carly returned it. "Are you kidding?" she asked, moving closer to the window. "She looks just like you."

Sonny beamed with pride. "I consider myself very blessed." He took another look at Luna, then turned back to Carly. "What are you doing here?"

"Michael and Morgan wanted to see their new sister," Carly explained. "And I thought I'd bring Kristina, too. They ran off to Claudia's room before I could tell them that the baby might not be in there."

Sonny laughed. "Well, thanks for bringing them. That means a lot."

"You're welcome," said Carly, smiling and looking back through the window. "It's Luna, right?"

"Yep," said Sonny, nodding. "Luna Dominica Corinthos."

Carly became startled. "Corinthos?"

"Isn't that my name?" Sonny deadpanned.

"Well, yeah," said Carly slowly. "But Claudia's using it for Luna?" Sonny just stared at her, perplexed. "Well, you guys made this baby before you even knew each other's names. I guess I just wasn't expecting you to become this…close."

Sonny understood exactly what she was saying, but he didn't respond to it, because he was trying to figure out the tone of her voice. Was it surprise? Confusion? Or could it actually be jealousy? After all these years, after she'd already married someone else, could Carly really be jealous of the budding relationship between Sonny and Claudia?

Finally, Sonny responded. "Yeah, Claudia and I have become real close, a lot more than I expected. But she wanted Luna to have an active father in her life, and that wouldn't have worked out if Claudia and I hadn't…gotten to know each other," he added hesitantly, that last part sounding like a complete and total understatement.

As usual, Carly saw right through him. But, not as usual, she didn't seem very threatened by what she'd deduced about one of Sonny's women. "You two are in love, aren't you?" she asked with a knowing smile.

She was smiling, thought Sonny. And it wasn't a fake smile, or a mischievous smile, or that malignant smile she wore when a dangerous idea was running through her head. It was a one hundred percent honest smile, and it took Sonny a couple moments to get over the fact that Carly was actually happy for him.

"I've never felt this way about anyone," Sonny confessed. "I know that what Claudia and I did was a mistake, but I would never trade my time with her and Luna for anything in the world."

Carly didn't say anything, just continued grinning. Sonny had never seen her so silent, and he decided to take advantage of this very rare opportunity. "Claudia and I have talked it over, and we'd be very honored if you would be Luna's godmother."

Well, that got her talking again. "Really?" she asked, her eyes wide. "I mean, are you sure?"

"Damn sure," said Sonny. "Carly, you and I have been through a lot, and I will always love you. It would mean the world to me if you would be the godmother to my daughter. I couldn't imagine giving the position to anyone else."

Again, Carly was speechless. All she did was wrap her arms tightly around Sonny. He took her gesture as a yes.


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter Nineteen_

"You coming, Claudia?" called Sonny. The church had emptied out awhile ago, but Claudia still didn't seem ready to leave. Sonny stood by the door, cradling a two-month-old Luna as he watched Claudia pace up and down in front of the altar, pondering the crucifix that hung before her.

Claudia started. "What?" She had been lost in her own mind for quite awhile. She hadn't realized how long she had been pacing, or that Sonny and Luna were still there.

"What's up?" asked Sonny, walking towards her as he shifted Luna's weight. She had grown so much in the space of these two months. Her thick brown hair was already starting to grow out a little, and she seemed almost twice as big as the day she was born. Sonny had forgotten how quickly newborns grew, and these past couple months had certainly gone by fast.

Claudia shrugged. "Not much. Just thinking."

"About today?" Today had been Luna's baptism, held during a regular church service instead of a private ceremony. There must have been a significant baby boom in Port Charles, because Sonny and Claudia hadn't been able to find an opening for an intimate celebration of Luna's first sacrament until the next summer, and they certainly weren't going to wait that long. Besides, it wasn't like they had an enormous amount of family attending. Sonny had had his children, his father, Alexis, and, of course, Carly. Claudia had only had Johnny. And it definitely hadn't changed the significance of the event; Luna was now an official member of the Catholic church, and Claudia had finally stepped inside a house of God for the first time in over ten years.

"Kind of," she answered. She had been thinking about the fact that it was now her duty to raise Luna in the Catholic way, but she promised herself that she wouldn't shove the religion down her daughter's throat like Maria had to her. She was also just thinking about the mass in general. As a kid, church had been a nuisance. It was an hour a week of having to sit next to Maria and muster up a grimace when she hugged Claudia during the "peace be with you" portion of the service. Besides, as far as Claudia had been concerned, the priests never seemed to know what they were talking about. They acted like everyone in the congregation had been saved by God, while Claudia didn't feel very saved at all. In fact, church made her feel extremely guilty. It only further convinced her that what had been going on with Trevor was her fault, that she was a sinner.

But today had been different. Claudia had found some kind of peace and solace in the readings, had actually listened with rapt attention to what the priest had to say. She was glad that Sonny had suggested this whole thing. Maybe she'd start becoming active in the church again, though she'd probably have to do a lot of confession time.

"Does it feel weird, to be in here?" Sonny asked her, remembering what she had told him about her past experiences with the Catholic church.

Claudia shook her head. "Not really. In fact, it feels more normal to be here now than when I was younger. I definitely did not expect to feel a little uplifted my first day back." She stopped her pacing and turned towards Sonny, smiling at him and her daughter. "Is she still awake?"

Sonny looked down at Luna. "Yep. I think she's already learned the important rule of not falling asleep in church."

"Oh, really?" Claudia laughed, walking towards them. She looked down into the bundle of blankets to see Luna looking back up at her, her eyes wide with some kind of fascination. "Oh, she is wide awake." Claudia began making funny faces at her daughter, faces she hadn't made since Johnny was born, faces that Maria had threatened would get stuck that way forever if Claudia didn't knock it off.

"Well, isn't this a pretty picture?" said a voice from the door of the church. Sonny, Claudia, and even Luna turned to see who it was, and not one of them seemed please with the unexpected visitor. Luna started squirming in her blankets.

"You know, Trevor," said Claudia, placing a firm grip on Sonny's shoulder, "I was amazed that I was able to walk in here without getting struck by lightning, but you? That's some damn miracle." Her words sounded brave, but that was definitely not how Claudia would describe her feelings. She felt the same way she had when she had last seen Trevor: extremely protective and scared out of her mind. All she could think about was Luna, and keeping her as far away from Trevor as was humanly possible.

"What do you want, Trevor?" asked Sonny. He'd never admit it in front of Claudia, but he was feeling scared, too. Not for himself; he knew he could beat Trevor in any sort of physical altercation. But he was scared for Claudia and Luna. Luna was a baby and Claudia was still haunted by memories of Trevor from her childhood. She talked a good game, but Sonny knew her better than that now; the grip on his shoulder was only getting tighter, and he knew she was just as frightened as he was.

"Well, I'm certainly not here on business," he said, starting to slowly walk down the aisle. "This is more personal."

"Whatever it is, we don't want to hear it," insisted Sonny.

"Oh, it's not exactly something I have to say," mused Trevor, glancing around the church absentmindedly as he came closer. When he was about five feet from the three of them, Claudia stepped in front of Sonny and Luna. She did not want Trevor laying as much as one eye on Luna, ever. She would not subject her daughter to that kind of torture.

Trevor stopped in his tracks and started laughing hysterically. "I never thought I'd see the day when Claudia Zacchara, the heartless bitch, developed a maternal instinct."

"Leave us alone," said Claudia, trying to sound strong, but only managing to make her voice shake. "Sonny and I can make it our personal business to arrange a slow and painful death for you."

"Whoa, careful," warned Trevor, nodding towards the crucifix. "This isn't exactly the place to be giving out death threats."

"Oh, shut up," Claudia shot back. "I hope you know that there's a special section in hell for pigs that prey on little girls."

"If you think I came here to harm your daughter, you're mistaken," Trevor started to say, but Claudia wouldn't let him finish.

"I'm talking about me!" she shouted. Luna immediately started bawling. Sonny started shaking her, watching tensely as the scene unfolded in front of me. "You preyed on me, and don't act like you didn't! Not in here! Everyone here knows you're a sneaky little liar, including him!" She jabbed a finger at the crucifix.

Trevor didn't let Claudia's shouts or Luna's cries faze him. "I may be a 'sneaky little liar,' but I know how to get business done. Okay, so, I may have lied a little bit just now," he said hastily, pulling a gun from his jacket's inside pocket. On instinct, Claudia backed towards Sonny and shielded Luna, while Sonny's grip on their daughter tightened. "I am here for business. But I'm doing what you hate so much, Claudia, and I'm making it personal." He reached forward, but not for Luna; before Claudia had time to react, he was holding her by the collar of her jacket, his gun pointed under her chin.

Sonny wanted to do something, but what? He refused to put the screaming Luna down to fight Trevor; what if something happened to her? No, she was safer in his arms. But what about Claudia? Sonny couldn't just watch as Trevor held her at gunpoint. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, stuck between two of the people that he loved the most.

Claudia was definitely frightened; Trevor hadn't put his hands on her since she was sixteen, and this did not help her to suppress the memories. But as long as Luna was safe, she could find her own way out of this. And she knew that Sonny wouldn't let anything happen to either of them.

"I want everything," said Trevor, his breathing heavy. "Zacchara, Corinthos, all of it. Hand it over, and I'll let her go."

"Done," said Sonny without hesitation. Had he spent most of his life on his organization? Yes, but Claudia and Luna were more important. He'd give up everything he owned in exchange for their safety. And he could always find a way to get it back. He was resourceful, smarter than Trevor. He could overcome this, but not until Trevor let Claudia go.

Trevor laughed maniacally. "You'd think I'd make it that easy?" he asked. "No, I've waited too long for this. I'm going to milk it for all it's worth. You'll have to find her," he shook Claudia hard, "in less than twenty-four hours if you want her back unharmed. If that whole day goes by, and you still don't show up, I'll start to kill her, and I'll take another twenty-four hours to do it. After two days, you can come and collect what's left of her whenever you please."

Claudia couldn't control herself. She began crying as hard as Luna. After all this, to have Trevor end her life? This was as unfair as it could get. Things had just started turning around; she had Luna, she had Sonny. She had happiness. It couldn't all be taken from her just like that. And why so slowly? Twenty-four hours? She didn't deserve that kind of torture. She hadn't wanted to spend her final moments on this earth begging for mercy.

Sonny watched Claudia cry, and had never felt more helpless in his life. Letting Trevor take her was his only option. He couldn't pull anything right now, and Claudia knew that. He would find her; he had to. He'd get all his men, and Johnny. He would save her. There wasn't another choice. She was one of the best things that he'd ever had in his life. He was not about to lose her.

"Tick tock, Sonny," said Trevor. After these final words, he began to drag Claudia out of the church. Sonny tried to ignore her squeals of terror as he stood there, holding his crying daughter.

He would get Claudia back, or die trying.


End file.
